As gun violence continues to tear through Cape Town’s gang-plagued communities, police have uncovered a major arms cache during an intelligence-driven operation in Lentegeur, Mitchells Plain, offering a glimmer of hope in the ongoing fight against crime.
According to police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa, officers discovered:
- 19 illegal firearms
- 1 500 rounds of ammunition
- 26 magazines
- Three gun safes
- A stun grenade, silencer, and a shooting practice target board
“All these illegal firearms and ammunition were concealed in cooler boxes and safes in the house,” said Brigadier Potelwa.
While no arrests have been made at this stage, police confirmed that multiple people are currently being questioned as detectives work to establish the origins and intended use of the cache.
Gang Link Suspected
The seizure is believed to be linked to orchestrated gang violence in the area.
Police suspect the weapons were to be used to fuel ongoing turf wars across several Cape Flats communities.
“This is part of a broader plan to perpetuate the violence plaguing our communities,” Potelwa said.
In response to the continued bloodshed, SAPS has ramped up operations in known gang hotspots, pledging to maintain pressure on criminal networks until stability is restored.
Children Caught in the Crossfire
The raid comes amid alarming statistics presented to the Western Cape provincial legislature’s Standing Committee on Social Development.
Major-General Luyanda Damoyi revealed that between April and August 2025, over 60 children have been murdered in the province – the majority of them aged between 15 to 17, followed by children aged 11 to 14.
The worst-affected areas include Kraaifontein, Philippi East, Delft, Nyanga, and Mfuleni – all communities at the heart of the Western Cape’s gun violence crisis.
These figures are based on operational data that still requires auditing, but reflect a deeply concerning trend of youth being caught in gang crossfire or targeted in violent attacks.
Government Under Pressure
The rising number of child deaths and the persistence of illegal arms trafficking have placed immense pressure on authorities to intervene more aggressively in the gang-violence crisis.
Community leaders and civil society groups continue to call for more long-term solutions, including expanded social programmes, education support, and policing reform, to combat the root causes of gang recruitment and intergenerational cycles of violence.
Authorities are appealing to the public for any information that could lead to the arrest of those behind the weapons cache.
SAPS has confirmed that further operations will continue in gang-affected areas in the coming weeks.
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