78 Killed in One Week: Western Cape Gang Violence Ring Alarm Bells

Published 28 Jan 2026 at 7:28 PM

by Mbalenhle Butale

3 min read

Opposition parties are calling for urgent action as gang violence continues to claim lives in the Western Cape, with 195 murders recorded in the first three weeks of January
The GOOD Party says the death toll shows a failure to act on a policing agreement, while Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia admits police are not in control of gang violence
Recent shootings, arrests and the deaths of young people highlight how deeply the crisis affects poorer communities

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Opposition parties sound the alarm on violence — Opposition parties have called for help after 78 murders were recorded in one week. Image: Brenton Geach/Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

CAPE TOWN- Opposition parties are calling on all levels of government to take urgent action against the ongoing gang violence in the Western Cape.

Reports from Eyewitness News indicate that in just the first three weeks of January, 195 people were killed in the province, with 78 murders reported between 11 and 17 January 2026 alone.

The GOOD Party says the high murder rate shows the government has failed to act on a policing agreement signed last August. This agreement was supposed to bring together resources and information from national, provincial, and local authorities to fight crime.

Cachalia says police are not in control of gang violence

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has admitted that South African police are still struggling to get gang violence under control, especially in the Western and Eastern Cape, and are not yet able to defeat organised criminal gangs. He acknowledged that current efforts, including arrests and specialised units, have not been enough to stop the rising violence and killing. Cachalia spoke about the need for stronger strategies and cooperation among government and community groups to tackle the deepening gang crisis.

Briefly News articles on gang violence

Three suspects have been arrested in Cape Town by the Western Cape Anti-Gang Unit in connection with a series of gang-related shootings, murders, and attempted murders across Manenberg, Athlone and Mitchells Plain. Police will bring the suspects before the Mitchells Plain and Athlone Magistrates’ courts, and authorities say thorough investigations and strong evidence are needed to secure convictions
A late-night shooting in Kraaifontein left a 13-year-old boy and three others injured in what police believe was gang-related violence, while a separate incident in Bonteheuwel saw two known gang members shot dead.
Police have arrested several teenagers, including a 20-year-old suspect, in connection with a gang-related mass shooting in Westbury that killed two teenagers and injured others, and those arrested are expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court on multiple counts of murder and attempted murder.

Acting police minister Prof Firoz Cachalia has said that police are not in control of the gang violence in the Western Cape yet. Image:Brenton Geach/Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

Previously, Briefly News reported that acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said weak schooling and high unemployment are major factors driving ongoing gun and gang violence in Cape Town’s Cape Flats, where many young people are drawn into gangs because they feel failed by the system. He made these remarks during a parliamentary debate, stressing that people must face the realities behind the violence and address problems like poverty, poor education, and inadequate mental health services.