The Gugulethu community has expressed outrage after the body of the body of a 40-year-old women was found with multiple injuries behind an abandoned building in NY1 yesterday morning.

Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg says investigations at the scene of the crime led to the arrest of a 38-year-old man, believed to be the deceased ex-partner.

“Gugulethu detectives started with their investigation, followed up information and interviewing several people, while crime scene experts combed the scene for clues. Investigation led detectives to the deceased’s ex-partner. He was arrested on a charge of murder. Investigation into the matter is still ongoing.”

The suspect is due to appear in the Athlone Magistrates’ court tomorrow.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has issued a stern warning against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the province, stressing that perpetrators of these crimes will face the full might of the law.

Meanwhile the Gugulethu Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairperson Deon Makiti says although the circumstances leading to the murder of the deceased are still being investigated, GBV incidents have no place in the community.

“And any form of abuse should be reported immediately. We do not want to comment much on some of the details that have been shared on community platforms as this is an ongoing case. We trust justice will prevail for the victim’s family.”

The City of Cape Town has hailed its 2025 IdentiKidz Programme as a major success, with more than 129,000 children tagged at beaches during the festive season to help prevent youngsters from going missing.

The child safety initiative ran from 15 December to 18 January, with Strand, Muizenberg and Strandfontein recorded as the busiest beaches.

Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Francine Higham, says the programme provided an extra layer of protection during an exceptionally busy summer period.

“To the staff who were at their posts day in and day out, I extend my sincere appreciation for your efforts. Thank you also to the thousands of parents who trusted the programme to participate and register their children.”

A total of 227 children were safely reunited with their caregivers this season, while five were handed over to the Department of Social Development (DSD) when caregivers could not be located, an improvement compared to last year’s figures.

Higham has again urged parents and beachgoers to prioritise child safety and follow drowning prevention rules at beaches and pools.

“We encourage everyone to continue to put safety first and to remember the four rules of drowning prevention. Swim only between the lifeguards’ red and yellow flags at beaches, do not swim under the influence of alcohol, be alert to the dangers of rip currents and actively supervise children at all times, especially around water.”

Humanitarian aid is being dispersed in Masiphumelele. The organisation, Gift of the Givers, rushed to the scene yesterday, following reports of a fire. They will be on the scene assisting with humanitarian aid over the next few days.

Humanitarian aid dispersed in Masiphumelele

The City of Cape Town says several informal homes were destroyed in the blaze in Masiphumelele Informal Settlement yesterday, but the exact number of homes affected is not yet known. The spokesperson for Disaster Risk Management, Charlotte Powell, says the flames were brought under control last night. Firefighters, however, remained on the scene overnight to prevent flare-ups.

Preventing flare-ups

A spokesperson for Gift of the Givers, Ali Sablay, says community leaders alerted the organisation about the fire yesterday. This was, as strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly through the area. Sablay says this left residents with little opportunity to save their belongings.

According to Sablay, after engaging with community leaders, they were told that in excess of 150 structures had been destroyed. He says their teams will be on site today to provide immediate humanitarian assistance. This includes hot meals and bottled water.

“Further aid can follow as the number of affected residents is confirmed,” added Sablay.

Teams are still active in Du Noon

Sablay further added that while the fire season has been relatively quiet over the festive period, a significant number of people have been affected in a short space of time. At this stage, their teams are still active in Du Noon, following a devastating blaze earlier this month. He says over 2 500 people were left homeless after a fire on 9 January, leaving many informal homes in ruin.

There are renewed calls for gang violence on the Cape Flats to be declared a provincial state of disaster.  

The calls recently started growing louder as community leaders argue that the urgency shown by the Western Cape Government in response to recent fires contrasts with what they describe as prolonged inaction on daily, deadly gang violence.  

Chairperson of the Bishop Lavis Crime Prevention Forum, Graham Lindhorst, said communities grappled with continuous mass murders while shootings had “become the norm”.   

Lindhorst questioned the speed at which the provincial government called for a state of disaster over fires, while similar calls were not made for gang-related killings.   

He said the forum was concerned that the Premier and the City of Cape Town Mayor had “not once condemned loud enough the senseless killings in our communities”.   

“We call on the Premier and the Western Cape Government to show the same care for our poor communities as is shown towards the fire victims. We say to the Premier that our lives should matter much more than the properties of the more fortunate in the province. We sincerely ask the Premier and his Government to value life and property of the poor working class as never before with the many fires in Informal Settlements did the Premier ever called for a State of Disaster so swiftly,” said Lindhorst.   

These sentiments echo a formal call made earlier this year by chairperson of the Cape Crime Crisis Coalition, Dr Llewellyn MacMaster, who described the situation as “a far more deadly, persistent, and entirely human-made catastrophe”.   

MacMaster argued that gang violence meets the legal definition of a disaster, adding that “ordinary policing” was not enough to address the issue.  

He further questioned why the Disaster Management Act was considered for fires but not for violence that claims hundreds of lives each month.   

“The legal standard for a disaster is clear under the Disaster Management Act: it is an event that causes death, injury, or social disruption beyond a community’s ability to cope. Applying this objective standard reveals a stark inconsistency in the Provincial Government’s application of its own powers,” said MacMaster.   

MacMaster called on Winde and the Western Cape Government to respond positively to demands for the disaster classification.    

“The disparity in response reveals a prioritisation of certain crises over others, leading to the fundamental question of equity and duty in governance. The continued non-application of a Provincial State of Disaster to the gang violence crisis is therefore not a legal constraint, it is a political and moral choice.” 

Meanwhile, Winde and Community Safety and Police Oversight MEC, Anroux Marais, are expected to meet with acting National Police Minister, Firoz Cachalia, to discuss ways to better police crime in the province.  

This came to light during Winde’s oversight visit to the Kraaifontein police station on Monday, which forms part of a programme to establishing the challenges at high-crime precincts.  

“In addition to decisive policing, we need to see strong economic growth that creates jobs. This is the most effective way to drive down crime,” said Winde. 

Earlier this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged the crisis, expressing sadness over at least 26 lives lost on the Cape Flats over the weekend. He said communities could expect “stronger law enforcement and increased police visibility”. 

“President Ramaphosa recognises the fear to which criminals subject residents and therefore calls on communities to strengthen their partnership with law enforcement agencies in community policing forums… [He] assures residents that government is balancing short-term actions to prevent and respond to violence and stabilise communities, with long-term socio-economic interventions to improve social conditions and living standards.”