Three young people were shot dead, and another was wounded in Cape Town on Saturday.
Sharon Seretlo/Gallo Images
- Three young people aged 16 to 21 were shot dead and another wounded in Samora Machel, Cape Town, after gunmen opened fire on their vehicle.
- Police have opened murder and attempted murder cases and increased patrols in the area.
- In a separate Philippi East shebeen shooting, police arrested a 19-year-old suspect linked to the massacre that killed nine people.
Three young people were shot dead and another wounded in Cape Town on Saturday, Western Cape police have confirmed.
The shooting occurred at 11:55 on Oliver Tambo Drive in Samora Machel.
According to police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut, the victims were seated in a Suzuki Ertiga when unknown shooters approached and opened fire before fleeing the scene.
#sapsWC The #SAPS strongly condemns the violent shooting incident that claimed the lives of 3 young people in Samora Machel on Saturday morning, 24/01.
Serious and Violent Crime Unit detectives are investigating a shooting that occurred at approximately 11:55 in Oliver Tambo… pic.twitter.com/oXyw3k0DZ0
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) January 24, 2026
Three people, aged between 16 and 21, were declared dead at the scene, while a 19-year-old victim was taken to hospital.
Cases of murder and attempted murder were opened.
Traut said:
Police deployments in the area have been reinforced, with increased visibility and patrols to stabilise the community and maintain law and order.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, police have made a breakthrough in the investigation of a mass shooting that occurred in Philippi East last Saturday.
Gunmen opened fire at a shebeen in the Marikana informal settlement, killing nine people and injuring another.
The victims comprised eight men and one woman, who was reportedly the owner of the shebeen.
Six people died at the scene, while others succumbed to their injuries en route to or at medical facilities. The attack is believed to be extortion-related.
READ | ‘Blood everywhere’: Philippi East residents fear for their lives after shebeen killings
On Friday, police arrested a 19-year-old man in Zweletemba, Worcester, in connection with the massacre.
The man is expected to appear in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court on Monday, facing nine counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
“With an arrest effected, the investigation continues in search of other suspects,” police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa said.
