Five Killed, Seven Injured in Gang-Related Shootings in Mitchells Plain as Police Deploy Additional Units
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA — July 4, 2025
A wave of deadly violence has gripped the community of Mitchells Plain on the Cape Flats this week, prompting police to deploy additional units to the area in a bid to stabilize the situation and restore public safety. The South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed that five individuals were fatally shot and seven others sustained gunshot wounds on Thursday alone, in what authorities believe to be a series of coordinated, gang-related attacks carried out across multiple locations in the crime-plagued suburb.
The outbreak of violence has left residents reeling in fear and frustration as gunfire shattered any sense of normalcy. According to police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut, the shootings are believed to be linked to ongoing turf wars between rival gangs vying for control of illicit drug territories and extortion rackets in the broader Mitchells Plain region.
“These incidents are being treated with the utmost urgency. All the evidence at this point suggests that these were targeted killings involving known gang figures and their associates,” Colonel Traut stated. “In response, additional policing resources have been dispatched to Mitchells Plain and surrounding areas, including specialized units from the Anti-Gang Unit, Tactical Response Teams, and Public Order Policing to bolster visibility and prevent retaliatory attacks.”
Timeline of Thursday’s Violence
The bloodshed unfolded throughout Thursday in a chilling sequence of attacks:
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10:45 a.m. – Tafelsig: Gunmen opened fire near a tuck shop in Kilimanjaro Street, killing two men on the spot and injuring three others. Eyewitnesses reported hearing over a dozen shots before the assailants fled the scene in a white sedan.
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1:20 p.m. – Beacon Valley: A 19-year-old man was shot multiple times outside a community center. He died at the scene. Local residents described the shooting as an execution, with no warning or apparent provocation.
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3:00 p.m. – Eastridge: Two more men were gunned down while sitting inside a parked vehicle. Both died before paramedics arrived. A young woman who was walking nearby was also hit in the crossfire and sustained non-fatal injuries.
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Later in the evening: Additional reports emerged of shootings in Rocklands and Lentegeur, leaving four more individuals wounded. Several of the injured are reported to be in critical condition at Mitchells Plain District Hospital.
Authorities are investigating whether these incidents were connected to recent prison releases and shifting gang alliances. Intelligence reports indicate that power vacuums created by recent arrests may have sparked violent reprisals and efforts to reassert dominance among long-standing rival factions such as the Americans, the 28s, and the Mongrels.
Community in Crisis
Residents, already worn down by years of violence, describe the current atmosphere as one of dread and despair. “We’re living in a war zone,” said an elderly woman in Beacon Valley, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation. “Children are too scared to play outside. You don’t know if a bullet is going to come through your window.”
Local activist and community safety advocate Byron Phillips condemned the violence and called on government leaders to do more. “We need a sustained and coordinated intervention. Deploying police for a few days helps, but it doesn’t fix the root of the problem. We need job creation, youth programs, mental health services, and serious reforms in how gang violence is addressed.”
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis issued a statement expressing his condolences to the families of the victims and reaffirming the city’s commitment to working alongside provincial and national authorities. “This level of violence is absolutely unacceptable. We urge communities to come forward with information that can help police apprehend those responsible. No one should live under the constant threat of gang crossfire.”
SAPS Response and Ongoing Operations
The SAPS Anti-Gang Unit, a specialized division formed in 2018 to combat gang violence in the Western Cape, has been tasked with leading investigations into the recent killings. Police say several suspects have already been identified, and intelligence-driven raids are currently underway in parts of Mitchells Plain and neighboring Manenberg.
In the meantime, patrols have been intensified around schools, clinics, and community centers. A mobile police command post has been set up in Eastridge, and stop-and-search operations have increased significantly.
“We are doing everything within our power to suppress this wave of violence,” said Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile, Western Cape provincial police commissioner. “We urge residents to work with us. We need communities to come forward with information. Witnesses can report anonymously through Crime Stop.”
The Ongoing Struggle
The recent shootings are the latest chapter in Mitchells Plain’s long and painful struggle with gang violence. Once built during apartheid as a township for “coloured” communities forcibly removed from other areas of Cape Town, Mitchells Plain has since become a densely populated urban battleground for drug syndicates and organized crime.
Despite community resilience and numerous anti-crime initiatives, the cycle of violence remains deeply entrenched—fueled by poverty, unemployment, broken families, and a lack of sustained investment in social development.
As the bodies are buried and the trauma lingers, the residents of Mitchells Plain are once again calling for a lasting solution—not just a temporary show of force, but meaningful, structural change.
What’s Next?
Police have assured the public that operations in Mitchells Plain will continue “for as long as necessary,” and that arrests are imminent. Minister of Police Bheki Cele is expected to visit the area in the coming days to assess the situation firsthand and engage with community leaders.
For now, Mitchells Plain remains under heavy police surveillance as families mourn their losses and brace themselves for what may come next in a community that has seen far too much bloodshed.
Anyone with information about the shootings is urged to contact the SAPS Crime Stop hotline at 08600 10111. All information will be treated with strict confidentiality.