Western Cape sees alarming rise in gun violence: Over 2 000 shot since January

Ahead of the release of the Quarterly Provincial police crime statistics, EMS reveals that more than 2,000 people have been shot with firearms in the Western Cape since January, averaging close to 413 a month and nearly 13 per day, with over 343 victims this month alone.

Kraaifontein has seen six more murders in the first three months of this year compared to the same period last year. According to crime statistics released by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on Friday, murder cases increased by 15%, from 39 cases last year to 45 this year.

Kraaifontein ranks in the top five in the province and ninth in the country for murder. It is also third in the province and 18th in the country for rape cases, which dropped by 2% from 46 cases last year to 45 this year.

Mchunu said that firearms remain the most frequently used instruments for murder, followed by knives.

“One of our stated priorities is the reduction of illegal firearms and tightening control over legally owned firearms. In the quarter under review, 4,023 cases of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition were registered — a 2.7% increase compared to the same period last year,” he said. Police destroyed 16,049 firearms in February and seized 1,641 illegal firearms and 24,288 rounds of ammunition during this reporting period.

The shocking numbers come days after businessman and South African Johann Rupert called out to President Donald Trump for help, stating that the Cape Flats had the highest murder rate in the Western Cape during a visit by President Cyril Ramaphosa and his delegation.

This call was echoed by crime activists, including the Cape Crime Crisis Coalition, calling on  Ramaphosa to appoint a National Commission of Inquiry, declaring a state of emergency and holding DA leader John Steenhuisen accountable.

The Western Cape is believed to be home to between 90 and 130 gangs with over 100,000 members.

The Provincial Commissioner of the Western Cape, Lieutenant General Advocate Thembisile Patekile is expected to publicly announce the release of the quarterly national crime statistics together with  MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety, Ms Anroux Marias.

While Mayco Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith has welcomed a decrease in murders in the province, the harsh reality is that  nearly 13 people are shot per day.

Smith said there was a -4% decrease in the overall murder rate in the Western Cape for quarter four of 2024/25, this follows a -7.9% decrease in quarter three and a -8.7% decrease in quarter two. The latest reduction represents a decrease of 44 murders.

Dwayne Evans of The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness confirms that public hospital emergency centres connected to HECTIS treated 16 954 trauma cases between May 1` and May 22 this year, of which 343 were gunshot wounds.

He said for the broader period from January 1 to May 23, WCDHW Emergency Medical Services logged 47 964 trauma incidents, including 2 064 that involved gunshot wounds.

This equated to 413 cases per month and 13 per day.

 “The sustained volume of violence-related injuries places a heavy emotional and physical burden on health workers and first responders, while communities endure the loss, fear and social disruption that accompany each incident. We remain committed to supporting our staff and partnering with communities to foster a safer, healthier future,” said Evans.

Smith explained for the period between January 2021 and January 2025, the City’s enforcement agencies removed 1670 firearms from the streets of Cape Town. “This includes prohibited firearms, zip guns and replica firearms,” Smith added.

He said there was also a decrease in murder rates in Nyanga, Gugulethu and Khayelitsha, but that Delft, Kraaifontein, Mfuleni and Philippi East have remained static or recorded increases in the number of murders in Q4.

Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel. 

MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety, Ms Anroux Marias in response to the decrease in the murder rate: “We are heartened by the decrease over three consecutive quarters; however, the numbers are still worryingly high, and 10 of Western Cape South African Police Service (SAPS) stations were among the top 30 stations in the country with high murder rates. 

“During this quarter, the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) was deployed in 6 high-priority areas: Delft, Nyanga, Philippi East, Gugulethu, Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain. Of these, there were decreases in Gugulethu of 39.7%, Khayelitsha of 9.5%, and Nyanga of 12.5%. Worryingly, there were increases in Delft of 1.5% and Philippi East of 63.9%. The figures for Mitchells Plain are not yet available. This suggests a positive impact of the LEAP initiative.”

Cape Argus