Cape Town – Two people have been shot and killed at the Mitchells Plain Taxi Rank in a second incident at the same location on the same day, police have confirmed, with the motive for both shootings remaining unknown.
The latest shooting follows an earlier incident this morning at the taxi rank in which one person died. Police are currently at the scene.
Abie Isaacs, Chairperson of the Cape Flats Safety Forum, strongly condemned the shootings.
“As the Cape Flats Safety Forum, firstly we condemn the shootings that happened in Mitchells Plain in the strongest terms,” Isaacs said.
He called on the South African Police Service (SAPS) to investigate thoroughly, noting that it was the second fatal shooting in the area within a single day. Isaacs also referenced additional shootings that occurred across the Cape over the weekend.
The forum expressed concern over the effectiveness of the recently deployed South African National Defence Force (SANDF) personnel, who are operating as a “force multiplier” alongside police in the region. Isaacs indicated that a full assessment of the deployment’s success would only be possible after 14 days, given that the troops had only recently arrived.
“We hope that the 72-hour activation from the police side will be activated so that the alleged perpetrators can be arrested,” he added.
Isaacs described the two shootings as “directly gang related” based on information received from the ground, although he acknowledged that police may view the incidents differently. He noted that the taxi rank area is known for both criminal activity and gang violence, raising fears of possible retaliation strikes.
In response to concerns about potential escalation, Isaacs urged all law enforcement agencies, including the SAPS and SANDF, to “leave no stone unturned” and “flood the area” — meaning to lock it down — in order to apprehend suspects and recover the firearms used.
Regarding the SANDF deployment, Isaacs pointed out that shootings had continued in parts of the Cape Flats over the weekend despite the military presence. He stressed the need for the SANDF to bring its own military intelligence capabilities and share information with police. He also highlighted what he described as a current lack of intelligence capacity within the SAPS in the Western Cape.
The Cape Flats Safety Forum will continue to monitor the situation closely as investigations proceed.