Gun violence continues to plague parts of Cape Town, with over 350 shootings recorded in the last 28 days across Nyanga, Hanover Park, Manenberg and Lavender Hill. The alarming figure comes from the City of Cape Town’s ShotSpotter system – a gunshot detection technology that pinpoints the exact location of firearm discharges in real-time.
Each time a gunshot is detected, City law enforcement officers are immediately dispatched and the South African Police Service (SAPS) is alerted.
“Gun violence in these communities has been ignored for too long,” said JP Smith, Mayco member for Safety and Security.
“Unless someone dies or a formal complaint is lodged, no police case is opened, no record is created, and no action is taken. That’s why we funded ShotSpotter – to collect real-time evidence and push national government to send more reinforcements where they’re urgently needed.”
The technology proved vital again early this morning. Just after 5am, two gunshots were fired in Hanover Park. No emergency calls were made, but ShotSpotter registered the incident immediately. Officers were deployed to the exact location within minutes.
“For too long there was no proof of the scale of the problem,” Smith said. “Now we have the data. This system has already helped us recover hundreds of firearms and make numerous arrests. But we need more – more SAPS officers on the ground and more detectives to ensure those arrested are properly investigated and convicted, not simply released and returned to terrorise their communities.”
Following targeted patrols in gang-affected areas, SAPS reported the arrest of a 26-year-old alleged gang member. According to Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi, police entered a property in Pikkewyn Street, Rocklands, where they recovered a pistol and ammunition hidden on site. The suspect was detained for possession of a prohibited firearm.
From 5–11 May 2025, advocacy group Fight Against Crime SA (FACSA) recorded 79 shooting incidents reported directly by members of the public – a figure that may not reflect the full picture due to limited reach in some areas. Their weekly figures include 18 incidents, with 32 people shot. Of those, 12 were confirmed dead, six critically injured, and eight in unknown condition. One additional body was discovered with the cause of death undetermined.
Police have confirmed a number of recent fatal shooting incidents, including one in Agulhas Court, Hanover Park, on Friday, 2 May. According to police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm Pojie, officers were alerted by hospital staff after the body of a 33-year-old man, who had been shot in the chest, was brought in. An eight-year-old girl and an adult male were also treated for gunshot wounds as innocent bystanders. No arrests have yet been made.
A day earlier, on 1 May, three men aged between 17 and 40 were shot dead in Clarke Estate, Elsies River. A fourth victim, aged 21, sustained a gunshot wound to the hand. SAPS has opened three murder dockets and one of attempted murder. Detectives from the Anti-Gang Unit are investigating.
In another tragic case from the same week, Lentegeur police responded to a fatal shooting on Linaria Road. A 42-year-old man was declared dead at the scene after being attacked while driving. A woman in the vehicle suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and was hospitalised.
Weekend Argus
