'FAMILY FEUD SPARKED GANG KILLINGS'

WESTERN Cape police have revealed that the motive behind the series of shootings in Mitchells Plain on Thursday was linked to a domestic dispute between members of rival gangs within the same extended family.

Speaking during a visit to the Mitchells Plain police station, Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile said the violence appeared to have been triggered by a conflict between in-laws, both allegedly high-ranking figures in opposing gangs.

Patekile added that some of the victims were shot at or near spaza shops in Beacon Valley and Town Centre, while another was shot inside a home, through a window.

Patekile revealed: “It would have been difficult to anticipate that this was going to happen, because it started as a domestic fight between two related leaders from different opposing gangs within the same family. 

“It escalated to the point where we lost many lives and many more were injured.”

He confirmed that 19 people had been taken into custody in connection with the incidents. Of those, five have been charged in unrelated matters, including illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, while the remaining 14 were still being questioned concerning the various shooting scenes.

He said: “Currently, of the 19 in the cells, five are connected to other cases. Two of them have been arrested for illegal possession of firearms, one for illegal possession of ammunition, and the other two for cases being investigated in the area.”

In response to the attacks, police have deployed nearly 100 officers across high-risk areas, including Beacon Valley and Westridge. 

This is in addition to the more than 400 officers deployed jointly with the City of Cape Town since 1 June to hotspot stations that account for more than 70 percent of gang-related incidents in the province.

Patekile declined to name the gang leaders involved, saying: “I’m not going to promote them. They are just criminals. This started small between family in-laws, then escalated and dragged in others, leading to what we saw.”

He said investigations into possible motives also included extortion and hit-style killings.

Asked about the broader call for the deployment of the military, Patekile said SAPS welcomed any support that may arise from such a process but emphasised that, operationally, they remained focused on stabilisation and arrests.