Muizenberg Murders Leave 8 People Dead in 4 Days, South Africans Concerned by Rising Gun Violence
- Police in the Western Cape are investigating a string of murders in Cape Town, where victims were gunned down
- The Muizenberg area has been hardest hit, as eight people were shot dead in the area in the space of four days
- South Africans weighed in on the spike in cases, noting how many areas that were once safe are not anymore
- Michael Jacobs, the CPF Chairperson of the Lentegeur Policing Precinct, spoke to Briefly News about whether the army should be brought in
Source: Getty Images
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
WESTERN CAPE – The City of Cape Town has been rocked by a surge of cases of gun violence, with concerns raised again about the safety in the Western Cape province.
Separate incidents of gun violence across the Mother City have left at least 13 people dead in the past week. The Muizenberg area has been hardest hit, with eight people killed in the past four days.
Muizenberg rocked by brutal murders
The first murders in the area were reported on 13 August 2025 when four people were shot dead in Overcome Heights. The South African Police Service (SAPS) were alerted to the bodies of four men aged between 20 and 37 at approximately 5:30 am. Detectives from the Anti-Gang Unit were tasked with investigating the matter, but the motive for the murders has not yet been established.
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The Overcome Heights area was also the scene of another murder on Saturday night, 16 August 2025, when a man was shot dead. A second individual was also injured in the attack and rushed to the hospital. Police confirmed that unknown suspects fired shots in the direction of the victims in Rasta Street before fleeing. No arrests have yet been made.
On the same night, police also responded to a scene in Xakabantu in Muizenberg, where the bodies of one man and two women were found. They each suffered gunshot wounds. Western Cape police spokesperson Andre Traut confirmed that a fourth person was injured in the attack and rushed to the hospital. He also stated that the suspects had fled the scene.
Source: Getty Images
Concerns raised over rise in shootings
Abe Isaacs, the Cape Flats Community Police Forum (CPF) chairperson, said law enforcement agencies need to do more to address the issue of gun violence in the City. He noted that there was an escalation in mass shootings in the past few weeks in and around the Cape Flats. Eyewitness News reported that 13 people were killed in the past week alone.
“We are concerned with the escalating gun violence in and around the Cape Flats. We have consistently called for a special probe to be set up to deal with gun violence,” Isaacs said.
Agnes Pillay, a resident of Milnerton in Cape Town, spoke to Briefly News, saying that the violent crimes weren’t just in the Cape Flats as was often believed. She added that the city was not as safe anymore, with the formerly affluent areas also experiencing violent incidents of crime now.
With investigations into the various incidents still underway, police have called on anyone with information to contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or notify police via the MySAPS mobile application.
The issues are not exclusive to the past week alone. In 2024, it was confirmed that 79 children were killed in the Cape Flats area from 1 September to 20 November 2024. More recently, an e-hailing driver and two passengers were brutally murdered in a shooting in June 2025.
The rise in shootings has even led to calls for the South African National Defence Force to be brought in. Michael Jacobs, the CPF Chairperson of the Lentegeur Policing Precinct, shared his thoughts with Briefly News about whether that should happen.
"The police are clearly not coping, and different sections of the community are looking for help to come from somewhere, so it's really out of desperation that they call for the army to be deployed.
"The daily shootings and gruesome killings are way out of hand, and if the army can help to be a stabilising force in support of SAPS and stem the killings, then why not?" he said.
How did South Africans react to the news?
Social media users expressed concern at the rise in murders in the city, particularly in the Muizenberg area.
Sbu Spondo exclaimed:
“Again Muizenberg in just a week? Okay!”
Mvuyie Ncaps stated:
“Kahle-kahle. Western Cape is Gaza-lite. Every day, there are mass killings there.”
Vitto Rizuto said:
“That's crazy. I used to stay there, and it was relatively peaceful.”
Soviya Hopper El V added:
“Venezuela used to be the number one country with criminal activity. Not anymore. South Africa is the worst country in the world when it comes to crime.”
Paul Kabamba stated:
“The violence in South Africa has become too much. The death penalty is needed.”
Vuyo Maqoqwane noted:
“Muizenberg is getting worse.”
Cape Town gets 700 new officers
Briefly News reported that 700 new Metro Police cadets were assigned to Cape Town.
The cadets, called Neighbourhood Safety Officers, will be deployed to every ward in Cape Town.
Capetonians praised Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis for his hands-on approach to community safety.
Lourencia Lombaard’s lawyer argues for full immunity for her
Meanwhile, Briefly News reported that Lourencia Lombaard appeared in the Western Cape High Court in the ongoing Joslin Smith trial. Judge Nathan Erasmus is set to rule on whether Lombaard should be granted immunity in the matter. Erasmus will also rule on Kelly Smith, Jacquin Lombaard and Steveno van Rhyn's leave to appeal applications.
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Source: Briefly News
