A SANDF soldier patrols Tafelsig in Mitchells Plain during Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s oversight visit linked to Operation Prosper in May 2026.
At least 29 people have been killed in eight mass shootings since Operation Prosper was launched and soldiers were deployed to Cape Town's crime hotspots.
The latest attacks unfolded within 20 minutes of each other on Wednesday evening, leaving seven people dead and five others wounded in Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain, and Philippi East.
The first shooting occurred shortly after 8:10pm at the corner of Laura Street and 8th Avenue in Lost City, Tafelsig, where five men were standing outside a tuck shop when armed suspects approached and opened fire.
Three victims, aged 18, 19 and 51, died at the scene after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds. Two others, aged 17 and 22, were taken to hospital.
