Suspects vas after high-speed chase and shootout in Steenberg

TWO suspects are in the dock on Monday after they were vasgevat by Steenberg police following a shootout and high-speed chase on New Year's Day.

Members of the Steenberg Crime Prevention Unit acted on information regarding a suspicious Toyota Etios in Tango Crescent, Steenberg. When police members attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver sped off, initiating a high-speed chase.

During the pursuit, an occupant of the vehicle fired shots at the police.

The chase concluded when the driver lost control of the Toyota Etios, causing it to come to a standstill in Joe Marks Boulevard. The two suspects, aged 34 and 43, were immediately apprehended. A search of the vehicle yielded a 9mm pistol and 13 rounds of ammunition.

The suspects now face multiple charges, including the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, attempted murder, and reckless and negligent driving. They are scheduled to appear in the Wynberg Magistrates’ court on Monday, January 5, 2026.

Gang-related violence in the Western Cape is exhibiting a troubling escalation, according to a report from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime’s (GI-TOC) Western Cape Gang Monitor.

The monitor highlights a sustained upward trend over the past five years, marked by an increasingly rapid rate of gang fragmentation, the emergence of splinter groups, and new challenges to established gangs.

This volatility is reflected in the murder statistics: gang-related murders in the first half of 2025 exceeded those in the same period of 2024, continuing a significant surge that saw figures double between 2020 and 2024.

Hotspot areas affected by this violence include parts of Delft, Elsies River, Hanover Park, Manenberg, and Mitchells Plain.