Over 74,300 Admitted to Western Cape Hospitals Amid Spike in Violence Over Festive Season
- The Western Cape Health Department has revealed that more than 74,300 people were admitted to the hospital
- The province's emergency centres reportedly treated 254 people for gunshot wounds
- 3,350 People were treated for stabbings, 307 for sexual offences, along with 66 abuse cases
Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.
Source: Getty Images
WESTERN CAPE - The Western Cape Health Department stated that thousands of people required emergency medical care over the festive season. This reportedly placed significant pressure on hospital emergency centres across the province.
74,300 Patients admitted to emergency centres
Between December 2025 and 2 January 2026, more than 74,300 patients were admitted to emergency centres, including over 18,600 trauma-related cases and about 52,200 medical admissions.
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According to the department’s chief operating officer, Dr Saadiq Kariem, emergency centres treated hundreds of serious violent injuries during this period. He said 254 patients were admitted with gunshot wounds, while more than 3,300 people required treatment for stab wounds. Cases linked to sexual offences and abuse were also recorded.
Dr Kariem added that thousands of assault- and accident-related injuries were handled, including blunt force assaults, motor vehicle crashes, pedestrian-vehicle collisions and other accidents, highlighting the heavy toll on health services during the festive period.
Source: Getty Images
Other stories about the Western Cape
Communities in Cape Town, Western Cape, have called on gangs and gang members to end their wars, which terrorise communities and claim the lives of many, especially children. Kashiefa Mohamed, the Community Policing Forum (CPF) spokesperson in Hanover Park, pleaded with gangs to put an end to the violence, having lost her son to gang violence in 2017. She also called on members of the community to take care of their children during the festive season.
Gang violence continued to spread terror and fear across communities in the Cape Flats during the festive season. Two people were killed during a gang violence-related incident in Wesbank on 25 December. A third was rushed to the hospital after the shooting, which took place at 6 am.
Three people were arrested in Cape Town over gang-related shootings. The police's Anti-Gang Unit arrested the suspects on the weekend of 27 and 28 December in Athlone, Mitchell's Plain and Manenberg. They were arrested for various crimes, including murder. The arrests follow several violent incidents, including a fatal shooting outside the Athlone Magistrates Court in December 2025. A second man was also shot and wounded shortly afterwards in nearby Kewtown.
22 People were killed, and 16 were critically injured between 24 and 26 October 2025 on the Cape Flats. A majority of the cases involve gun violence. Multiple shootings took place in Mitchell's Plain, Manenberg, Lavender Hill, Delft, Bonteheuwel, Elsies River, Philippi and Kraaifontein. Police Minister Firoz Cachalia visited the area and said that he aims to curb gang violence in the province.
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Source: Briefly News
