The battle to quell gang violence in the Cape Flats continues to test police resources and resolve, with certain precincts proving especially stubborn despite ongoing law enforcement interventions.
In the latest incident, a 47-year-old woman was gunned down in Bonteheuwel early on Saturday morning, underscoring the grim reality still facing residents caught in the crossfire of turf wars and criminal rivalries.
According to police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk, Bishop Lavis SAPS members responded to a call just after 6:30 am in Yellowwood Road.
“The body of a female who sustained a gunshot wound to the head was found in front of a premises,” Van Wyk confirmed.
“She was declared deceased on the scene by medical personnel.”
He added that the body was discovered by a community member on his way to work, who immediately alerted residents and police.
The motive for the murder remains unclear, and the suspect or suspects had already fled the scene when authorities arrived.
“The circumstances surrounding this incident are still under investigation,” said Van Wyk.
A murder case has been registered, and police are appealing to the public for information.
“We urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the MySAPS mobile application anonymously.”
Ward Councillor Angus Mckenzie said: “Between 2am and 4am on Saturday, a woman was shot and killed in Yellowwood Road, Bonteheuwel.
“The circumstances around the shooting are not clear. It is alleged that she is a victim of the ongoing drug and gang turf war going on in the V and Y blocks of Bonteheuwel. Our deepest sympathy goes out to her family and friends during this difficult time.”
The murder comes as the South African Police Service intensifies efforts to address violent crime in volatile areas.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa said a multidisciplinary strategy involving SAPS, City of Cape Town LEAP officers, Metro Police, and Neighbourhood Watch groups has begun to show some stabilisation in hotspot areas.
“However, other identified precincts still require intensified serious interventions,” she said.
Part of the SAPS’s success, according to Potelwa, lies in the increased deployment of personnel alongside improved technology and intelligence gathering.
“The City of Cape Town’s ShotSpotter system, coupled with the camera network, license plate recognition innovations, as well as drone technology, are becoming a force to be reckoned with,” she said.
In a separate breakthrough earlier this week, members of the Western Cape Flying Squad arrested three foreign nationals at a burial service in Maitland cemetery, where shots had been fired.
Seven illegal firearms were recovered. “The suspects, aged 32, 36 and 49, will appear in court soon for illegal possession of firearms,” Potelwa confirmed, adding that additional charges may follow.
“The seizure of the firearms is quite significant in the police’s quest to create safer communities, as illegal firearms are at the heart of serious violent crime in the Western Cape.”
Since January this year, SAPS operations across the province have led to the confiscation of approximately 260 illegal firearms. Organised crime detectives, operating under the banner of specialised takedown units, have made 52 arrests since March.
These include charges ranging from intimidation to murder, as well as contraventions of the Firearms Control Act and the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
“Thirteen life sentences for murder were secured by specialist investigators,” said Potelwa.
“Gang bosses and runners are being brought before the court to face serious charges.”
The police are also battling other forms murder of serious crime.
In a disturbing case this past week, a 51-year-old man, recently released from prison, was arrested in Hanover Park after being found in the company of a nine-year-old girl who had been reported missing.
He faces kidnapping and rape charges and appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Friday. “When SAPS officials were effecting the arrest, they came under attack from community members who wanted to take the law into their own hands,” said Potelwa.
“Such acts will not be tolerated as they constitute a serious crime.”
“Despite the challenges, there have been notable gains in crime reduction, particularly in Khayelitsha.
“Although we are not out of the woods yet, the current downward trajectory in the township is acknowledged,” said Potelwa.
She credited sustained police and community collaboration, targeted patrols, consistent objection to bail for serious offenders, and focused arrests of gang elements for the improvement.
Potelwa added that, precincts like Mitchell’s Plain, Bishop Lavis, Delft, and Mfuleni remain problematic due to persistent gang feuds and the availability of illegal firearms.
Potelwa noted that the recent addition of 100 new members to the Provincial Anti-Gang Unit is starting to make a difference in some of the most historically challenging areas.
SAPS continues to appeal to residents to play an active role in fighting crime.
“Someone, somewhere, somehow knows something,” said Potelwa. “We urge communities to share information with the SAPS. Our success depends on it.”
