MEC urges police strategy review, after back-to-back fatal mass shootings in Cape Town

The Anti-Gang Unit is leading the investigation into the second fatal mass shooting in Cape Town this week, this time in Lotus River.

The Grassy Park SAPS confirmed that four men were gunned down on the corner of Nita and Olga Streets on Thursday night. A fifth victim sustained serious injuries in the attack.

Spokesperson for the Western Cape SAPS, Brigadier Novela Potelwa, advised that the victims were between the ages of 32 and 44.

“The victims were all sitting in front of a block of flats when a vehicle emerged, and the occupants opened fire on them,” said Potelwa.

Potelwa said that officers are investigating the possibility that it is a gang-related attack.

She also noted that police deployments have been reinforced at the Grassy Park police station and other neighbouring stations in response to the incident. There’s been no arrests yet.

“Grassy Park police have opened murder and attempted murder dockets for investigation. Anti Gang Unit detectives are hard at work in search of the perpetrators, with no arrests effected yet,” read the SAPS statement.

The SAPS took a similar action in Manenberg, having increased police visibility following a mass shooting on Rio Grande Walk on Wednesday night. Six people were wounded, and one person was killed in this incident, which is also believed to be gang-related.

Provincial MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais, said these incidents are “stark reminders of the devastating impact that criminal gangs continue to have on communities across the Cape Flats”.

Marais said the persistent shooting necessitates extraordinary measures, noting that standard practices are no longer enough to deal with “the entrenched gang violence that continues to plague affected areas”.

“She therefore urged law enforcement authorities to urgently review and strengthen their strategy to disarm criminal gangs and disrupt their operations,” read her department’s statement on the matter.

While calling on police to use the support of the SANDF to identify and find gang strongholds, and facilitate targeted operations, she urged residents to work with law enforcement agencies to bring perpetrators to justice.