The Western Cape is reeling after another horrific week of mass shootings, and now, the national government is stepping in with a stern warning and a renewed plan of action.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has called for an urgent shift in strategy—insisting that routine methods are no longer enough to tackle the escalating bloodshed in Cape Town’s most troubled communities.
Series of Deadly Attacks Rock Cape Town Townships
The past week has seen a chilling rise in fatal attacks.
Over the weekend, seven men were gunned down in a brutal ambush at a home in Kanana, Gugulethu.
Days later, three more bodies were discovered at separate scenes in Samora Machel.
And earlier in the week, a deadly shootout in Nyanga left three suspected hijackers dead during a failed carjacking.
Altogether, 13 lives were lost in what appears to be a deeply disturbing pattern of violence across the Cape Flats.
“This Is a Crisis,” Says Police Minister
Responding to the carnage, Minister Mchunu didn’t hold back.
“We can’t afford to act like this is business as usual,” he told the media.
“We’re facing a stark choice—protect innocent people or allow criminals to rule. And that’s really no choice at all.”
Mchunu stressed that the situation in the Cape Flats has reached crisis levels and requires urgent, out-of-the-box thinking and immediate action from police leadership.
Operation Shanela 2 Rolls Out
To address the emergency, Mchunu confirmed that a new crackdown—Operation Shanela 2—has been activated.
This operation is a more aggressive follow-up to earlier interventions, and it’s designed to tackle multiple issues at once: murder, gang violence, illegal firearms, drugs, and gender-based violence.
This renewed effort brings together various police task teams, intelligence units, and support from provincial and national government structures.
“The time for planning is over,” Mchunu said.
“We need to fully roll out everything we’ve prepared to take back control of our communities.”
“Killing Fields” Must Not Become the Norm
Mchunu’s language turned even more serious when he described parts of the Cape Flats as resembling “killing fields,” saying these areas are becoming synonymous with unchecked violence and bloodshed.
He urged the police not to treat these killings as part of a new normal.
“We need to reject this normalization of violence,” he insisted.
“The usual ways of doing things are no longer enough.
Every available police resource needs to be activated now.”
The Community Holds Its Breath
As the province waits to see how Operation Shanela 2 unfolds, residents remain on edge—tired of promises and desperate for real safety in their neighborhoods.
The question now is: Will this tougher approach bring the change so badly needed?