Urgent need for inquiry into gang violence in Mitchells Plain

The Chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, has added his voice to mounting calls for a Commission of Inquiry into gangsterism in the Western Cape, following a spate of gang-related shootings in Mitchells Plain that left five people dead and seven others injured.

Speaking in the aftermath of Thursday afternoon’s coordinated shootings across the area, Cameron said the incidents laid bare the failure of the South African Police Service (SAPS) to anticipate and prevent organised gang violence through intelligence-led policing.

“The scale and spread of these deadly incidents underscore that gang violence in the province is neither sporadic nor unpredictable. It is sustained, organised, and should be within the reach of proactive, intelligence-led policing to prevent. Yet, SAPS appears unable to detect or disrupt gang operations before blood is spilled.”

He said it was increasingly evident that Crime Intelligence remains “severely constrained and ineffective at almost every level”, and that at provincial level, SAPS leadership in the Western Cape is “directionless, lacking a coherent, credible strategy to combat gang violence”.

Cameron said this failure includes both targeting syndicate leadership and disrupting street-level gang activity.

“A full Commission of Inquiry into gangsterism and the leadership crisis within SAPS in the Western Cape is urgently needed. This is necessary to expose the systemic failures, identify accountability, and force the overhaul of the current approach to gangs and violent crime in this province.”

He welcomed the swift response by the City of Cape Town, as announced by Mayco Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, which included the deployment of nearly 60 officers from the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP), Metro Police Tactical Response, and Traffic Services to support SAPS operations and restore calm in Mitchells Plain.

Detectives from the Anti-Gang Unit have launched an urgent investigation and are actively pursuing those responsible.

“We echo the call for members of the public to come forward with any information about these shootings and assist in bringing those responsible to justice. Information can be reported to SAPS or the city’s Public Emergency Communication Centre at 021 480 7700, or anonymously to the 24-hour tip-off line at 0800 110 077.

“Until SAPS leadership is held accountable and intelligence-led, prosecution-driven policing is restored, communities like Mitchell’s Plain will remain caught in the crossfire of gangs and SAPS dysfunction.

“This level of operational cooperation between SAPS and municipal resources is critical in stabilising the situation and pursuing the perpetrators behind these heinous acts,” Cameron said.

Mitchells Plain Community Police Forum representative Norman Jantjies said residents and community safety structures had long warned of the gang threat and repeated their demand for a Commission of Inquiry into gangsterism.

“It’s a challenge that we raise all the time. On Saturday, Mitchells Plain, Strandfontein, and Lentegeur CPF representatives will have a meeting to find solutions to this crisis. We need additional resources and a comprehensive gang strategy that includes prevention, intervention, and law enforcement. Some of these elements will also be addressed. We want all the people interested in safety and gangsterism to share their thoughts on how we can move forward. We are still calling for the Commission of Inquiry into gangsterism.

“We want an audience with Parliament, but it’s a long process which we will discuss. Minister or whoever comes up with it during the meeting, but not just police, other components. That frustration is still prevalent to us,” he said.

Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais, also expressed deep outrage following the shootings, which SAPS confirmed occurred in a series of five incidents on Thursday afternoon.

According to reports, the first shooting took place at around 12.30pm in Beacon Valley, leaving two people dead and three injured. Four more shootings followed across the area, claiming three more lives and injuring four others.

Minister Marais was briefed on the situation at Mitchells Plain SAPS station on Thursday night. A 72-hour operational plan was activated, involving a multi-disciplinary task team comprising the Anti-Gang Unit, Tactical Response Team, and Crime Intelligence.

“I commend the South African Police Service and the City of Cape Town for their swift and coordinated response. I urge them to use every resource available to apprehend those responsible for terrorising our communities. I also appeal to members of the public: if you have any information that could assist the police, please come forward. All information will be treated with the utmost confidentiality,” said Marais.

Smith said: “Our city was shaken by violent attacks on bystanders outside Spaza shops in Mitchells Plain, resulting in numerous injuries and fatalities. We swiftly responded, deploying nearly 160 additional resources, including our LEAP teams, to join forces with SAPS and stabilise the area.

“Our directorate is offering full investigative support to SAPS, and we're providing a R100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators. In the face of adversity, our community showed remarkable spirit. I joined our members on the streets, and a group of community members expressed their appreciation for our work and prayed for our officers' protection. It's a powerful reminder that we must continue our efforts, despite the noise.”

In his budget vote speech, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu referenced the broader context of crime concentration, saying: “We have repeatedly mentioned that there are four provinces where crime is concentrated, these are: Gauteng, KZN, Western Cape, and the Eastern Cape.

“The recent random four waves of gang violence in Cape Town (from June 22 up to Thursday), resulting in a total of 18 murders, is a source of grave concern for the Ministry. It is clear that identified high crime zones in all four provinces require intelligence-led targeted deployment of specialised units to combat criminality, over and above Operation Shanela.”

He said 225 hotspot police stations had been identified, with the top 30 and five high-contact crime stations receiving an additional R85 million allocation. R28 million would be made available to support Community Policing Forums, including equipment procurement, and R8.5 million for community engagement such as izimbizo and awareness campaigns.

Mchunu added that SAPS had restructured its Visible Policing division, splitting it into two new units, to enhance proactive policing and improve crime-fighting capabilities.

“We can confirm that the appointment process for the Divisional Commissioner of Operational Response Services is at an advanced stage. This will enable us to meaningfully fight crime in the streets and settlements, such as in the Cape Flats.”

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