CCN Reporter – George April
Cape Town: The Cape Flats woke up to gunfire and closed the morning with more shootings, taxi conflict and extortion, all while political parties intensify their campaigns ahead of the 4 November 2026 local government elections.
At approximately 06:00 this morning, three armed men, believed to be linked to a rival gang, allegedly went to a double-storey house in Jonquille Road, Bonteheuwel, looking for a specific individual. According to information shared by Ward 50 Councillor Angus McKenzie, the men kicked down the door and entered the property. The intended target managed to escape by jumping from an upstairs window.
The suspects allegedly opened fire on him as he ran, but he got away.
McKenzie said descriptions of the suspects have been shared with SAPS and City of Cape Town law enforcement. He also used the incident to call for an honest community conversation, warning that harbouring gangsters or allowing homes to become hiding places for wanted criminals brings violence onto the doorsteps of families and children.
The violence did not stop there
Later in the morning and early afternoon, community safety alerts reported:
– A shooting on Ferndale Drive near the landmark Maitland Taxi Rank, with injuries recorded. Emergency services were requested to be given clear access.
– Gunshots in the vicinity of Green Acres Road, Grassy Park.
– Taxi drivers at the 7th Avenue Taxi Rank in Mitchell’s Plain Town Centre refusing to allow Uber drivers to load passengers.
– Gangsters allegedly taxing taxi drivers on the corner of Olifantshoek Street in Tafelsig, Mitchell’s Plain, with gunshots also heard at the scene. Residents called for increased patrols by SAPS and Law Enforcement.
– A further shooting in Highclere Street, Maitland, again with injuries reported.
Residents across all these areas were repeatedly urged to exercise extreme caution when walking or driving through the affected streets.
These back-to-back incidents, a targeted early-morning gang hit in Bonteheuwel followed by multiple shootings and taxi-related violence across Maitland, Grassy Park and Mitchell’s Plain. – paint a grim picture of a Cape Flats still under siege.
While political parties continue door-to-door campaigning and public engagements in the final stretch before the 4 November elections, communities are left dealing with the daily reality of gunfire, extortion and fear.
CCN Online will continue to follow developments.
