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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape condemns in the strongest possible terms the brutal murders of seven people and the wounding of five others in two separate shootings in Tafelsig and Philippi East on Wednesday evening.

Our thoughts are with the families who have lost loved ones and those recovering from these horrific attacks.

In Tafelsig, three people were killed and two wounded when gunmen opened fire outside a tuck shop. Shortly afterwards, four more people were killed and three injured in a shooting at a home in Philippi East. These senseless killings once again expose the devastating grip that organised criminal gangs continue to have over communities on the Cape Flats.

The Acting Minister of Police, Firoz Chacalia, himself has now acknowledged what the DA has warned about from the outset: the deployment of the South African National Defence Force has not dismantled a single gang. This admission confirms that simply placing soldiers on the streets, without sustained intelligence-driven policing, detective capacity and successful prosecutions, will never break the back of organised crime.

With more than 100,000 gang members operating across the Western Cape, criminal syndicates continue to conduct business as usual because they know the likelihood of arrest, successful prosecution and conviction remains far too low. Until the national government prioritises intelligence-led operations that identify, target and dismantle gang leadership and criminal networks, communities will continue to pay the ultimate price.

Benedicta van Minnen, MPP, DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Police Oversight and Community Safety, said: “The DA has consistently argued that visible deployments alone cannot substitute for an effective criminal justice system. South Africa needs a policing strategy that focuses on gathering actionable intelligence, removing illegal firearms from circulation, strengthening specialised anti-gang units, and ensuring that dangerous criminals are successfully prosecuted and imprisoned.”

This call comes ahead of the DA's anti-crime march in Nelson Mandela Bay on Friday, 10 July 2026, where DA Leader Geordin Hill-Lewis will lead what is expected to be the country's biggest anti-crime march. Against the backdrop of South Africa's deepening crime crisis, Hill-Lewis will call on President Cyril Ramaphosa to urgently strengthen policing and intelligence, restore law and order, and ensure violent criminals are brought to justice.

Issued by: Benedicta van Minnen MPP - DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Police Oversight and Community Safety