A fresh wave of gang violence has left Mitchells Plain residents in fear after multiple shootings rocked the area this week.
Shootings in Lentegeur and Beacon Valley spark outrage
The latest incidents, which occurred on Tuesday, 4 March 2025, left five people shot across Lentegeur and Beacon Valley, with one fatality reported.
According to reports:
- Lentegeur (Salvia Field): One person was shot.
- Beacon Valley (Bicycle Crescent): Four people were shot, including one fatality.
The shootings have reignited concerns over escalating gang turf wars, with the community calling for urgent intervention.
Fight Against Crime SA (FACSA) condemned the violence, calling for immediate action from SAPS and demanding military intervention on the Cape Flats.
“SAPS claims crime is under control, yet innocent people—including a special needs child—are being gunned down in broad daylight. The inaction is costing lives!” FACSA said in a statement.
Video footage of the Beacon Valley shooting has surfaced online, further sparking outrage as residents demand accountability.
Was this retaliation over the death of ‘Chucky’?
The recent spike in shootings comes in the aftermath of the murder of “Chucky”, the alleged leader of the Hard Livings gang, who was gunned down in a targeted hit near the Mitchells Plain police station on Monday, 3 March 2025.
Reports indicate that Chucky was sitting in his black Volkswagen Polo in a parking lot opposite the Mitchells Plain Magistrates’ Court, allegedly waiting for a fellow gang member to be released on bail when he was ambushed.
A witness described the shooter as a young male disguised as a car guard, who opened fire and fled the scene.
“He was walking around pretending to be a car guard, then suddenly pulled out a gun and started shooting,” an eyewitness told Daily Voice.
SAPS spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed the murder investigation, stating:
“Mitchells Plain police are investigating a murder case following a shooting incident on 3 March at about 12:30 at the Town Centre parking area. A 31-year-old man was fatally wounded. The suspect or suspects are yet to be arrested.”
Gang experts warn that Chucky’s killing could have sparked retaliatory attacks between rival groups, leading to the surge in violence across Mitchells Plain.
Calls for urgent intervention as gang violence escalates
With at least 21 murders reported on the Cape Flats last weekend alone, the public outcry is growing.
Ian Cameron, a member of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Policing, has criticised SAPS for failing to curb gang violence.
“SAPS leadership claims to be dismantling gangs, but the reality on the ground tells a different story. The Anti-Gang Unit is under-resourced, and the police response is failing,” Cameron said.
Despite repeated calls for intervention, government officials have dismissed the need for South African National Defence Force (SANDF) deployment to control the escalating violence.
For now, Mitchells Plain remains on edge as residents brace for further retaliation and bloodshed.