Mitchells Plain Shootings Leave 4 Dead in 3 Incidents on One Day, Residents Urge President to Visit
- Four people were killed in three separate shootings in Mitchells Plain, as gun violence continues unabated in the Western Cape
- A six-year-old girl is among five people who were injured after suspects opened fire on a group of people at Hazeldene Taxi Rank
- The Anti-Gang Unit has been tasked with investigating two cases which happened at approximately the same time on 7 April 2026
- Briefly News spoke to the police and the Mitchells Plain United Residents Association about the latest shootings in the area
Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
WESTERN CAPE: Four people have been killed in three separate shootings on one day in Mitchells Plain, as gun violence continues unabated in the area.
Three of the victims were killed in two separate shootings around the area at the same time on 7 April 2026. In the first shooting, which happened in the morning of 7 April, an elderly man was shot dead at a taxi rank.
The murders happened a week after the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to the Western Cape.
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Police condemn the senseless murders
Speaking to Briefly News, Western Cape police spokesperson, Colonel Andrè Traut, said that the South African Police Service (SAPS) condemned the senseless acts of violence in the strongest possible terms.
“Such incidents have no place in our communities, and every available resource is being utilised to track down those responsible and bring them to justice,” he said.
Addressing the two afternoon shootings, Colonel Traut said that SAPS were investigating two counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder after the first at Hazeldene Taxi Rank, which happened at approximately 2:35 pm.
He noted that it was reported that unknown suspects opened fire on a group of people, fatally wounding two men. The men were aged 20 and 22. Two adult males and three children, including a six-year-old girl, were injured and rushed to a hospital for treatment.
In the second incident, which happened in Merrydale Street, Portlands, around the same time, a 26-year-old man was shot and killed by unknown suspects. Colonel Traut noted that the shooting was believed to be gang-related.
The Anti-Gang Unit is investigating both cases.
Association wants the president to visit the area
Briefly News spoke to Michael Jacobs of the Mitchell's Plain United Residents Association, who questioned what measures were being put in place to deal with the continued gun violence.
He also stated that apart from the four murdered on Tuesday, one person was shot and killed on Easter Sunday in Westridge, while another was shot dead on Monday, 6 April in Eastridge.
“With all of these shootings, what measures were put in place by SAPS, the army, and other law enforcement agencies to ensure that commuters and residents are safe?” he asked.
Jacobs also said that the association was calling on the president to visit the affected areas.
“We call on President Cyril Ramaphosa to visit Mitchells Plain and other areas affected by the ongoing gang violence urgently, as it seems that our communities have lost complete trust in politicians and security agencies,” he stated.
Source: Getty Images
Other crime stories in Mitchell's Plain
Briefly News reported that the area has been plagued by several cases of violence, with gang warfare the most common reason.
- Western Cape police discovered an arms cache in a residential home in Lentegeur, Mitchell's Plain, in September 2025.
- Two men were shot outside the Mitchell’s Plain Magistrate’s Court and Police Station on Monday, 25 August 2025.
- Two women were shot dead outside Portland's Primary School in Mitchell's Plain on 6 November 2025.
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Source: Briefly News
