Hanover Park gang violence escalates as three shot after police operation

Hanover Park gangsters opened fire and wounded three people just 30 minutes after City of Cape Town officials completed a stop-and-search operation in the area on Friday.

Members of the ShotSpotter deployments, which consist of metro police officers, law enforcement and traffic services, were led by the City's Safety and Security boss JP Smith on the raid, but they had to return to the gang-infested area when the shots rang out.  

Three individuals were found shot when officials arrived on the scene at Ryston Road.

Residents were angered as it was alleged that the members of the Laughing Boys fired the shots.

As ShotSpotter deployments cornered off the scene, tensions were rising as community members attempted to stop the bleeding of the man who sustained a gunshot wound..

As people were waiting for emergency services to arrive, the area was quiet as the tension could be cut with a knife.

Community members expressed their concerns to Smith, saying children were being recruited by gangs. 

Some parents also said this has resulted in no safe areas for their children to play, while some members say the gang violence is over turf.

Smith said: “In Hanover Park for the period between January and April 2025, a total of 224 shooting incidents were recorded, which has decreased from 291 incidents recorded in the same period during 2024. There has been a 30% decrease in the amount of rounds fired during this time, which decreased from 817 to 546.

“In recent years the City has invested into installing gunshot detection targeting specific gang violence in consultation with the South African Police Services (SAPS).

“The technology known as SoundThinking (formerly ShotSpotter) identifies the sound of gunfire, giving law enforcement authorities the ability to immediately pinpoint territorial battles erupting between rival gangs.”

During the operation members stopped at Silica Walk, which is one of the hotspots in the area where members of the community ganged up on officials after a 9-year-old was allegedly kidnapped on May 13.

Senior law enforcement inspector, Madoda Mbonyana, said: “It does not matter whether it is Monday or Friday, this street is always busy at all times. We patrol here in this street everyday.

“We appeal to the community to help us in order to fight this crime. A firearm was also recovered during the day on May 16 by metro police.”

Smith added: “This has been a problem street for us lots of here, residents have to suffer a lot of gang activity but unfortunately the flip side of it is also when we do operations very often some of the community not all but some will gang up on our officers - either stone our officers or take the suspect away.

“It is always a tricky area, it's not an area where you can come with just two or three officers you need significant numbers, but at the moment this is a hotspot and the people who suffer are the community and if the kids are at the wrong place at the wrong time they become the victims.”

Members confiscated a knife from a man at Mentz court claiming to be his auntie’s kitchen knife and packets of heroine from a suspect called “Dagga”, who was arrested.

Members also searched alleged Ghetto Kids gang Duncan "Lord" Hoorn’s old home, where a button pipe and a tik lollie were found.

Members confiscated a knife from a man at Mentz court claiming to be his auntie’s kitchen knife and packets of heroine from a suspect called “Dagga”, who was arrested.

Members also searched alleged Ghetto Kids gang Duncan "Lord" Hoorn’s old home, where a button pipe and a tik lollie were found.

Cape Argus