SAPS Warns Social Media Users to Verify Info After Victim of Table View Shooting Falsely Identified

• The South African Police Service appealed to social media users to verify claims before sharing information online
• The appeal was made after the victim of a shooting on Marine Circle, Table View, was wrongly identified online
• One man was shot dead inside the News Café on 25 May 2026 by unknown men who also stole his laptop and cellphone
• Briefly News spoke to the Western Cape police and the Table View Community Police Forum about the shooting

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 – The South African Police Service (SAPS) is urging social media users to verify information before posting or sharing it, in the wake of a murder in a restaurant in Cape Town.

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Captain FC van Wyk, Western Cape SAPS Media Liaison Officer, made the appeal after several posts on social media claimed that the victim of a shooting in Table View had been identified as Joel Booysen.

The posts falsely claimed that Booysen was the 33-year-old man who was shot dead inside the News Café on Marine Circle, Table View, on 25 May 2026. Booysen has since taken to social media to dispel the claims.

News of the shooting spread across social media, as the victim’s phone and laptop were stolen, but no other patrons or staff were targeted in the incident.

Police urge social media users to verify information

Speaking exclusively to Briefly News, Captain van Wyk urged citizens to verify information first.

“A plea is hereby made to social media users to use these platforms responsibly and to verify the source as well as the authenticity of the information before sharing it.

“We also encourage anyone who witnesses a crime taking place to report it to law enforcement agencies immediately,” he said.

Booysens publicly responds to claims

The appeal from police comes after Booysens took to social media to dispel the reports that he was dead. In a post shared on his Instagram, he said that he was still in bed, watching Netflix.

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Table View Community Police Forum weighs in on shooting

Briefly News also reached out to the Table View Community Police Forum (CPF), which also urged members of the public and media to refrain from speculation or the circulation of unverified information while investigations continue.

“We respectfully request that the public allow SAPS the necessary space to conduct their investigation and encourage anyone with relevant information to report it through the proper channels,” the CPF said.

The CPF has also sought to reassure the public that crime prevention and safety initiatives were ongoing, amid fear and frustration following the shooting, which happened in a restaurant in the middle of the day.

Western Cape investigating numerous murders

Briefly News also reported that the province's Serious and Violent Crime Unit was already investigating several shootings across the province over three days.

The South African Police Service is investigating whether the deaths of seven people in five shootings are linked to one another in Khayamandi in Stellenbosch.

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Police in the province also launched manhunts after six men were shot dead in Khayelitsha within hours of each other.

Source: Briefly News