Off-Duty South African National Defence Force Member Killed in Delft South Shooting
- An off-duty South African National Defence Force (SANDF) member was shot and killed in Delft South on 8 April 2026
- The SANDF were recently deployed to the Western Cape to assist police in combating the gang violence in the province
- The soldier, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds, was found just after 10 pm by members of the Delft police
- Briefly News spoke to Western Cape Police Media Liaison Officer, Sergeant Wesley Twigg, about the fatal shooting
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 – An off-duty South African National Defence Force (SANDF) member has become the latest victim of the ongoing gun violence in the Western Cape.
The 37-year-old male, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds, was found dead in Kokaboom Street, Delft South. He was found by members from Delft Police Station who responded to complaints of a shooting at approximately 10 pm on 8 April 2026.
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He was declared deceased at the scene.
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The soldier was not part of Operation Prosper
Western Cape Police Media Liaison Officer, Sergeant Wesley Twigg, confirmed to Briefly News that the deceased was a member of the SANDF who was off duty at the time.
He noted that there was no link between the soldier and Operation Prosper. Operation Prosper is the name given to the military deployment authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa, which has seen over 2,200 soldiers deployed to high-crime-rate areas.
The year-long operation aims to target illegal mining, gang violence, and organised crime across five provinces. The Western Cape is one of the provinces where soldiers have been deployed.
Ramaphosa announced that the SANDF would be deployed to the Western Cape and Gauteng during his State of the Nation Address speech on Thursday, 12 February 2026.
Source: Getty Images
South Africans react to the soldier’s death
Social media users weighed in on the death, and while some pointed out that he was off duty, others weighed in on the fact that he was still killed.
Mkay Syd said:
“Our SANDF guns are from Temu.”
Deryll Ngwenya stated:
“I think he was targeted for some reason.”
Adol Yungshot added:
“Someone was sleeping during training. If you're killed by a thug, what can you do to an enemy soldier in global warfare? What do they train you for?”
Sai Gumas exclaimed:
“Haibo, Cape Town.”
Arrel Ingrid Madebe said:
“Eintlik, does this country not have a president? Because SA feels like a high school with no principal at all.”
Mcemelfez Mba noted:
“Some were complaining about soldiers wearing masks because they want to target them off duty.”
Henderson Hendy stated:
“Being a soldier doesn't mean you can't die.”
President Ramaphosa commits to improving SANDF
Briefly News reported that President Ramaphosa weighed in on the state of the South African National Defence Force and what needs to change.
The president noted that the modern warfare landscape was evolving, with AI and drones, and thus required the army to adapt as well.
The president then committed to doing more to get the SANDF back on track during his speech on Armed Forces Day.
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Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
