Cape Town – Police discovered a significant cache of illegal firearms and ammunition during an intelligence-driven operation at a house in Lentegeur, Mitchells Plain, on Monday, indicating ongoing gang-related violence on the Cape Flats.
Brigadier Novela Potelwa said the operation targeted known gang hotspots.
Officers recovered 19 firearms, around 1,500 rounds of ammunition, three gun safes, 26 magazines, a stun grenade, a silencer, and a shooting practice target board.
The items were concealed in cooler boxes and safes within a three-bedroom apartment, which appeared to serve solely as a storage facility.
No arrests have been made yet, but several individuals are being questioned.
Potelwa described the discovery as part of a coordinated plan to fuel gang violence in Cape Town communities.
“The find is believed to be part of an orchestrated plan to perpetuate gang violence that is currently afflicting several communities in Cape Town,” said Potelwa.
#sapsWC In targeted intelligence-driven operations focusing on identified gang hotspots on the Cape Flats, a cordon and search operation yielded much-needed success on Monday afternoon when police teams discovered an arms cache comprising the following:
✅X 19 firearms
✅an… pic.twitter.com/jHX7VJXOjp— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) September 1, 2025
“The firearms will be sent for ballistic testing as part of the ongoing investigation. The targeted operations are set to continue until the affected areas have been stabilised.”
Western Cape Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile welcomed the seizure but stressed that more work remains.
He noted that firearms remain the primary weapons used in gang-related murders and shootings. “We are seeing planned shooting practice with targets focusing on head and chest areas, reflecting the nature of recent gang attacks in Mitchells Plain,” he said.
Recent weeks have seen a surge in gang-related incidents in the area.
Last Friday, police arrested a 23-year-old man in connection with a shooting outside Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court, in which one person was killed and another injured. In separate cases, 14 suspects aged 20 to 39 were arrested for murder and attempted murder following multiple shooting incidents, and Matthew Yu was sentenced to 27 years for murder, attempted murder, and possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Police have also conducted extensive searches, raiding 43 suspected gang houses and confiscating additional firearms and ammunition. Brigadier Potelwa said law enforcement will maintain a strong presence in affected areas until calm is restored, urging local communities to cooperate with officers to curb gang violence.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
