Family dispute turns deadly in Mitchells Plain: Two women shot, child wounded

Two women have been shot and killed, and one child wounded in what is believed to be a family dispute in Mitchells Plain.

It is understood that the man is a close relative of the women. Police were called to the scene on Thursday afternoon along Westpoort Drive in Mitchells Plain. The gunman has since been arrested.

Police spokesperson, Sergeant Wesley Twigg, said a 32-year-old man was arrested following the incident which rocked Mitchells Plain, with social media being flooded with gruesome pictures of the crime scene and videos of one of the women lying in the backseat of a vehicle on the side of the road.

“Mitchells Plain police responded to a complaint of a shooting on Thursday afternoon, November 6, 2025, at about 3pm in Wespoort Drive, Portlands, where two females aged 26 and 30 were shot and fatally wounded, and a 12-year-old boy was wounded. According to reports, the victims were approached by a relative who opened fire on them.

“The 26-year-old female was declared deceased at the scene by medical personnel, while the other two victims were transported to a medical facility for treatment, where the 30-year-old female was declared deceased on arrival at the hospital. The motive for the attack is believed to be domestic-related.

“We can confirm that a 32-year-old male was arrested in connection with the murders and will appear in the Mitchells Magistrates’ Court once he has been charged.

“Mitchells Plain detectives are investigating murder and attempted murder cases.”

Norman Jantjies Mitchells Plain Community Policing Forum chairperson said crime fighters, together with law enforcement agencies, managed to contain the scene: “We were very disturbed to hear about the shooting incident outside of Portland Primary, where two females were killed and one child was also injured. Fortunately, the perpetrator was arrested, and it appears to have been a family dispute and was not gang-related. We trust that the family of the deceased will receive the necessary counselling and support while SAPS also does a speedy investigation. We also want to thank the neighbourhood watch and law enforcement agencies for assisting at the crime scene because things could easily have gotten out of hand.”

Lynn Philipps of the Cape Flats Safety Forum said the shooting comes just before the 16 Days of Activism against Women and Child Abuse: “I want to condemn this constant shooting perpetrated on women and children. We have experienced a drastic increase in women being shot these days, and noting the fact that 16 Days of Activism is around the corner.

"We see that these types of criminality are increasing against women during this period. We ask the authorities to act swiftly and bring the perpetrators to book.”

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