Mitchells Plain community demands inquiry into escalating gang violence

IOL News

07-05-2025

Police are investigating a double murder and attempted murder after three males were shot in Mitchells Plain.
Image: Leon Knipe
The Mitchells Plain Community Police Forum (CPF) has issued an urgent call for a commission of inquiry into gang-related violence, following a deadly shooting in Tafelsig that claimed the lives of two teenagers and left another critically wounded.
The mass shooting took place on Tuesday night, May 6, at the corner of Platteklip Street and Cable Way, Tafelsig. According to police reports, the victims—two males aged 18 and 19—were gunned down while standing in the road. A third male was seriously injured and taken to the hospital for treatment.
Police say a Toyota Etios drove past the group and opened fire before fleeing the scene. The attack is believed to be gang-related.
As residents of Mitchells Plain reel from yet another violent incident, the CPF's call for structural interventions, accountability, and community mobilisation underscores the urgency of addressing the deep-rooted causes of gang violence.
Chairperson of the Mitchells Plain CPF, Norman Jantjies, said the community is under siege and the violence is affecting households across the suburb.
He has called for urgent collaboration between law enforcement agencies and residents to tackle the spiralling crisis.
'We as the CPF are very concerned because these shootings and killings are going on unabated, and it looks like it is the whole of Mitchells Plain that is affected,' said Jantjies.
'We feel more needs to be done by the law enforcement agencies. We need increased visibility and profiling of all the gangsters and make sure that we have the number plate detection and cameras. We note that most shooters drive to their targets.'
Jantjies lamented the community's reluctance to come forward as witnesses, citing fear and intimidation. He argued that surveillance technology, such as license plate recognition and street cameras, could help close the information gap and assist police in identifying suspects.
'We have a problem with people refusing to be witnesses. We need cameras to assist us in identifying the perpetrators,' he said.
A mass shooting in Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain has left two people dead and another taken to hospital.
Image: Leon Knipe
The CPF is also developing a long-term anti-gang strategy with stakeholders across sectors.
Jantjies emphasised that this issue must transcend political divisions and be approached as a collective community crisis.
'We are saying that the Mitchells Plain community is developing a gang strategy, we want everybody to come on board. We should not look into this politically—everybody must sit down at the table, this is not just going to go away,' he said.
'This impacts every household in Mitchells Plain. We repeat our call that we need a commission of inquiry to look into this ongoing gang violence that we are faced with. It goes right from prevention and detection to prosecution.'
The CPF chair also expressed frustration over a pattern of cases being withdrawn in court, allowing perpetrators to escape justice.
'We have another problem of cases being withdrawn at court, and this means that people are getting away with murder,' Jantjies said.
Western Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed the details of Tuesday's shooting and said investigations are under way.
'The circumstances surrounding a shooting incident on Tuesday night, 6 May 2025, on the corner of Platteklip Street and Cable Way, Tafelsig, Mitchell's Plain, where two males aged 18 and 19 were shot and fatally wounded and another male shot and wounded, are under investigation,' Twigg said.