Two young lives were tragically cut short following a drive-by shooting in Mitchells Plain on Wednesday.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed that two murder cases have been registered, while the suspect remains at large.

According to reports, the two teenagers, aged 16 and 18, were found with multiple gunshot wounds and were declared deceased on the scene.

Police spokesperson FC Van Wyk said the incident took place at Veronica Road, Montrose Park.

“Upon their arrival, they found the bodies of two males aged 16 and 18 lying in the street in front of the gate of the mentioned address, both with multiple gunshot wounds to their bodies. The 16-year-old victim sustained gunshot wounds to the head, neck and stomach, while the 18-year-old sustained gunshot wounds to the neck and stomach.”

Van Wyk said no arrests have been made yet, but the motive behind the attack is believed to be gang-related.

Meanwhile, Michael Jacobs, Chairperson of the Lentegeur Community Policing Forum, condemned the incident and called on police to urgently track down those responsible.

“We call on the police to ensure visibility and to track down those responsible as a matter of urgency.”

As City teams continue with mop-up and recovery efforts in the wake of this week’s devastating cold fronts, the total number of people affected by the storms now stands at approximately 103,350 as of Friday, 15 May.

Disaster Risk Management teams are continuing assessments, so this figure may still rise.

On Tuesday, the figure still stood at 83,000, illustrating the devastation caused. It is important to note that individuals affected do not necessarily mean they have been displaced from their homes.

The City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management department says 31,709 dwellings have been impacted in some way, across 67 informal settlements.

Humanitarian relief has reached around 40, 000 individuals, each receiving two meals per day over five days — a total of 400, 000 meals have been supplied.

Support has been provided by the South African Social Services Agency (SASSA), Gift of the Givers, the Mustadafin Foundation, United Crises, Islamic Relief, Ashraful Aid, Shree Parasakthie Aalayam, Shoprite and Pick n Pay.

The public call for donations has generated contributions, primarily in the form of clothing and blankets.

While the weather has cleared, the effects will be felt for some time to come, and the City has appealed to the public to continue supporting its donation drive where possible.

The call for donations includes non-perishable foodstuffs, personal hygiene items, nappies and baby formula, as well as blankets/bedding.

A reminder, the designated drop-off points are the following fire stations:

• Bellville: Belrail Road
• Goodwood: corner of Hugo Street and Frans Conradie Drive
• Hout Bay: Main Road
• Lakeside: Corner of Main and Approach Road
• Milnerton: Koeberg Road
• Ottery: corner of New Ottery Road and Strandfontein Road
• Roeland Street: CBD
• Sea Point: 4 Kloof Road
• Strand: corner of Broadway Boulevard and George Street

*This article has been updated since it was first published

Law enforcement has struck another blow against drug trafficking in Bellville following the seizure of drugs worth more than R2.7 million at a known hotspot in the area yesterday.

Metro Police spokesperson Ruth Solomons says officers were conducting patrols at Parksig Villas, a known drug location, when they uncovered a large quantity of drugs.

“The K9 officer, Virus, was let out of the vehicle to conduct a sweep of the parking area, and soon enough, Virus stopped next to a vehicle, indicating to his handler that he had found something.”

Solomons says officers acted on the information, looked through the windows of the hatchback and spotted two bags of mandrax tablets.

“They sought permission from the Provincial Narcotics Unit to break into the vehicle and found 51 bags of mandrax, seven loose mandrax tablets, 300g of cocaine and 300g of tik in the boot.”

Authorities confirmed that the drugs have an estimated street value of just over R2.7 million.

The contraband was booked in at Bellville SAPS (South African Police Service) as abandoned, while the vehicle was taken to Stikland for further investigation.

The Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais, has since praised the K9 Unit, emphasising that the operation demonstrates the value of specialised policing units and the importance of sustained investment into local law enforcement capabilities.

“This confiscation represents far more than just the seizure of narcotics. Every shipment of drugs removed from our streets disrupts the criminal economy, weakens gang networks and helps prevent further violence, addiction and destruction in our communities. The City of Cape Town has consistently shown its commitment to improving public safety through substantial investments in additional law enforcement officers, specialised units, technology, training and operational resources. These investments are yielding results and adding important policing capacity within the broader safety environment of the Western Cape.”

Marais added that collaboration between SAPS, Metro Police, provincial government and communities remains essential in the fight against violent crime and drug trafficking.

Two men were found guilty of unlawfully feeding Cape fur seals in Cape Town. Bruce Tillings (40) and Tristan Johnson (22) were convicted earlier this week of this charge. They were also found guilty on a charge of exploitation of Cape fur seals. These incidents occurred at the Hout Bay Harbour.

Two men found guilty of unlawfully feeding Cape fur seals

According to reports, Tillings and Johnson were sentenced to a fine of R80,000 or 24 months’ imprisonment in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court. This is wholly suspended for five years, on condition that they are not convicted of a similar offence during the period of suspension. According to the court, the unlawful feeding and exploitation of these seals at the harbour is a practice that has placed both animals and the public at serious risk.