Beacon Valley boy, 16, and Lentegeur man killed in gang-related shootings

Another bloody weekend in Mitchell’s Plain saw a Beacon Valley teen, 16, and a Lentegeur man shot and killed in two separate a gang-related shootings. 

Mitchell's Plain police station commander Brigadier Brian Muller said on Thursday May 8, at 11.15am, police were called to a scene in Rolbal Street, where they discovered the teen’s body with multiple gunshot wounds. A man, whose age is unknown, was also injured during the shooting. He was transported to a local hospital in a stable condition for medical treatment. “The motive for the incident is gang-related,” said Brigadier Muller.

In a separate incident, Lentegeur Station Commander Colonel Umavathie Rameshwarnath reported that a man was killed and a woman shot in the leg in Linaria Street on Wednesday May 7, at 8.20pm. Both victims were shot inside the vehicle. Both victims’ ages are unknown. “I can confirm there was a case opened for murder and attempted murder. It is gang-related and a suspect was arrested by Lentegeur SAPS. The suspect appeared in court on Friday May 9 and was remanded in custody,” said Colonel Rameshwarnath.

Just last week, on Thursday April 24, at about 9pm, 11-year-old Zailin Visser from Eastridge survived a gunshot wound to the back of his head from a stray bullet. The bullet was allegedly meant for a Fancy Boy gang member (“Eastridge boy, 11, survives gunshot to the head” Plainsman May 7).

Abie Isaacs, chairperson of the Cape Flats Safety Forum, said he noted with concern another bloody weekend on the Cape Flats and surrounding areas.

“We hold the view that there is clearly no political will to deal with what we call urban terror (gang war) on the Cape Flats. We call for SANDF (South African National Defence Force) deployment as a force multiplier to SAPS in dealing with this urban terror,” he said.

Mr Isaacs also called for a special probe into gun violence. “What’s happening on the streets over the last week is contrary to what the provincial commissioner of SAPS said recently — that they have crime under control ("Lentegeur residents call for effective policing" Plainsman April 16). We further call on the Western Cape community police forum to support the Cape Flats Safety Forum for SANDF deployment.”

Western Cape MEC for Police oversight and community safety, Anroux Marais said ongoing understaffing at police stations is reducing policing capacity, particularly in areas affected by gang violence.

In response, the Western Cape Government launched the Western Cape Safety Plan in 2019. In 2024, the Western Cape Government and City of Cape Town doubled LEAP officer deployments in Mitchell’s Plain. The City also supports SAPS through Metro Police, Traffic, and Law Enforcement.

The safety plan is being updated to reflect current challenges. Criminals continuously adapt to evade law enforcement, requiring new strategies to improve crime prevention, she said.

Michael Jacobs, chairperson of the Lentegeur CPF, said gun violence on the Cape Flats is at a crisis point.

“As the community of Lentegeur, which is part of the broader Mitchell’s Plain bearing the brunt of gun and gang violence, we will not tolerate these shootings under any circumstance, whatever the source,” he said.

He added that although discussions have been held with politicians and government, “if you actively do nothing, people continually end up dead. The issue is way past escalating from individual station level — this is a Provincial and National crisis which demands immediate and decisive action.”