'Gang culture' fears after gunmen ambush three vehicles on road to Atlantis, instantly killing five young men

24 Oct 2024

An Atlantis community activist has raised the alarm over a spike in shootings, with the Western Cape’s Anti-Gang Unit detectives on the hunt for gunmen who killed five people instantly and injured five others on Wednesday night, 23 October 2024.

A mass shooting in Atlantis that killed five people and wounded another five was not the first in the area in recent months, according to community member Peter Stoffberg.

He was responding in the wake of five people being shot dead and five severely wounded after unknown gunmen opened fire at three vehicles, according to the police.

Brigadier Novela Potelwa said reports from the scene indicated that the victims were returning home in three vehicles from the Silverstroom Beach, situated 16km from Atlantis, when yet-to-be identified gunmen opened fire on the vehicles on the corner of Old Mamre and Silverstream roads.

The age of those who were killed ranged between 18 and 30, said Potelwa. According to the SAPS, all victims were male.

Stoffberg, who has been involved in anti-crime engagements, told Daily Maverick on Thursday that the number of shootings had escalated over the past three to six months in Atlantis.

“We have a gang culture in the community, the G-Units, Americans, Horribles, Fancy Boys, and various other gangs. In yesterday’s shooting, one was shot in the arm, another one in the leg, and another one in the mouth,” said Stoffberg.

He said that there had been two shootings in the Neptun’s Castle area. In one incident, six people were shot, three died on the scene and another three were injured. In another instance, four people were shot at, one of whom was injured. Stoffberg believes all these shootings are gang related.

Daily Maverick had not received comment from police about these previous incidents at the time of publication.

It was reported in May last year that two teenagers who were best friends, aged 19, were gunned down in Atlantis in what was believed to be a gang-related incident. Police on the scene found the two victims with gunshot wounds to their heads.

In 2021 it was reported by IOL that a gang war had broken out in Atlantis, claiming the lives of three people. In the first incident, a man believed to be in his late 20s was found in the bushes at Dassenberg Drive, in the second incident in Avondale, the police attended to a scene where a 39-year-old man from Neptune Castle was shot and wounded. A third incident involved a 27-year-old man from Avondale who was found gunned down at a bus stop.

Reports suggested that all these killings were related to gang violence.

Read more: Fear grips Atlantis as key witness is gunned down before giving testimony that could put gangsters behind bars

Mass killings in the Western Cape

There have been an alarming number of mass shootings reported in the province recently.

In June 2024, Daily Maverick reported that two gunmen stormed into the Mzwa barber shop on Gqrwarha Street, Khayelitsha, and opened fire on customers, killing Bafana Jikane (30), Lunje Chomo (12), Snoyolo Mtsamayi (11) and Enzokhule Dladlu (5). A total of 28 spent cartridges and three bullets were retrieved from the crime scene.

Read more: Police ‘hope for quick arrests’ after children die in Khayelitsha barber shop shooting

Athule Mtsha and Sithisa Masiko were arrested for the mass killings and faced four counts of murder and 11 counts of attempted murder. They have also been charged with possession of a stolen vehicle and reckless and negligent driving. Appearing before the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court, the two were denied bail in July 2024.

Bara and Tofile

In 2022, two men, Yanga “Bara” Nyalara and Wanda Tofile, alias Mampintsa, were accused of an extortion-linked mass killing that claimed the lives of 12 people three years ago. They have since been acquitted due to evidence that the court said was replete with lies and inconsistencies that made it impossible to discern the truth.

This mass shooting sparked widespread condemnation. Even former minister of police Bheki Cele and Western Cape Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile attended Nyalara’s court appearance in July 2022 at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court.

Read more: Two Cape Town mass-killing-accused suspects acquitted after judge finds testimony of sole surviving witness to be unreliable

Other mass shootings include: