A string of deadly shootings on the Cape Flats, particularly in the neighbouring suburbs of Elsies River and Bishop Lavis, has residents on edge, as they fear retaliation shootings from gangs and further bloodshed.
On Wednesday night, two teenagers, aged 16 and 19, were gunned down in a suspected gang-related shooting in Leonsdale, while a 12-year-old girl and a 63-year-old woman were wounded after being caught in the crossfire.
Earlier this week, a 42-year-old man believed to be a gang leader was shot and killed at the corner of 35th Street and Old Stellenbosch Road. Police confirmed they are investigating a possible gang-related motive.
READ MORE: 2 teens killed, girl & elderly woman injured amid gang shootings in Elsies River – Smile 90.4FM
Multiple recent shootings in Kalksteenfontein, part of the broader Bishop Lavis, left seven people dead and others wounded, in what authorities believe are gang-related incidents. These included a mass shooting in Soetkop Street, as well as separate attacks in Hanekam Street and Buttercup Street.
READ MORE: Kalksteenfontein Community on Edge After Spate of Gang Killings – Smile 90.4FM
Community leaders say the violence has pushed residents to the brink.
The Elsies River Safety Initiative’s Imraahn Mukkadam said the situation on the Cape Flats “resembles a low-intensity civil war, with armed groups engaging in urban conflict”.
“Often, for no apparent reason other than petty disputes over drug turf and extortion territories, lives are lost. Each death fuels retaliatory attacks, perpetuating a relentless cycle of violence,” said Mukkadam.
He further highlighted concerns over understaffing and under-resourcing at the Elsies River police station, the flow of firearms in these communities, as well as the failure of courts to keep gangsters behind bars.
He said these are among the key issues that should be addressed, while also calling for better coordination between the SAPS, Metro Police, and other policing entities because “the current fragmented and disproportionate deployment of resources is failing our people”.
Mukkadam said they are collaborating with another community safety organisation, the Inspire Network, to host a mass community meeting sometime next week and encourage “every resident, every parent, every business owner, and every stakeholder” to rise up against the ongoing violence.
“We must unite to take back our streets from the criminals who have terrorised us for far too long. We cannot continue to live in fear. We cannot continue to count bodies,” said Mukkadam.
Echoing these concerns, the Elsies River Community Policing Forum chairperson Marius Fourie noted that many victims are often innocent bystanders, especially the victims in the Wednesday incident.
“They did not do anything wrong. They were not criminals. They were not gangsters… There are kids that has been shot dead for no apparent reason,” said Fourie
He also highlighted the growing fear in the community.
“I do believe the community fear retaliation, and they are scared of that because of the [severity] of this incident.”
Fourie urged anyone with information on the latest incidents in Elsies River to report it to the CPF’s tip-off line, 073 264 6099.
Meanwhile, the SAPS has confirmed that the national military is preparing for its deployment to crime- and gang hotspots on the Cape Flats.
