Female security guard among victims as spate of murders stokes fears of escalating violence in Milnerton
Peter Luhanga
- Six people died in Dunoon, including three shot just after 1am on Monday in Ekuphumuleni and a man beaten to death in Siyahlala.
- Two earlier fatal shootings were recorded in Section 28 on Saturday night.
- In a separate incident, three people were shot dead in a vehicle in Joe Slovo Park, bringing the weekend death toll to nine.
Five people were killed in separate shootings in Dunoon over the weekend, and a sixth man, accused by residents to have been a thief, was beaten to death and abandoned behind the Siyahlala informal settlement near the railway line. There was also a triple murder in Joe Slovo Park on Saturday night.
The violence intensified just after 1am on Monday, when three people, including a female security guard working for a City of Cape Town contracted security company, were shot dead along a narrow passage in the overcrowded Ekuphumuleni informal settlement. On Saturday, one person was killed in Steenberg Street and another in Curry Street in Section 28.
At the scene in Ekuphumuleni on Monday morning, dark stains still marked the narrow passage where the shooting took place, despite residents’ efforts to wash the blood from the ground.
Uwakhe Mahlati, 20, lost her mother in the attack.
Uwakhe’s mother, security guard Phatiswa Mahlati, had been off duty on Monday and Tuesday.
Uwakhe said she was asleep when she heard six gunshots in the early hours.
She said she did not imagine her mother was among those being killed.
Moments later, she said her grandparents knocked on the door and asked for her mother’s ID, telling her there had been a shooting outside and that her mother was involved.
Phatiswa had been drinking with two friends before the shots rang out. She leaves behind Uwakhe and her 12-year-old sister.
“She was drinking with two friends. She was off today and tomorrow. When I heard she had been shot, I felt devastated. I don’t know what to do. My mom was kind to everyone. She gave advice to people and never got into conflict with anyone,” said Uwakhe.
One of Phatiswa’s colleagues, Kholisile Tsolo, who was deployed with her to guard municipal infrastructure, including the community hall and sports facility, described her as a “nice person”. He said he had worked with her for two years.
“I got a call at 4am. I was shocked. I asked if she was dead. They said yes,” said Tsolo.
Dunoon neighbourhood watch spokesperson Bonginkosi Luthuli said the township had seen five fatal shootings over the weekend.
Luthuli, who lives in Section 28, said two of the killings happened in his area on Saturday night, one in Steenberg Street and another in Curry Street.
He also said on Monday morning, residents discovered the body of a man in Siyahlala informal settlement who had been accused of theft and believed to have been beaten to death.
“We are doing patrols but these incidents are occurring outside our patrol pattern. We don’t know what is happening. We are in a season where there are killings left right and centre,” said Luthuli.
He said the neighbourhood watch was planning a meeting with the Milnerton police. “They’re saying we should have interventions to combat crime. It is getting out of hand in our communities, not only Dunooon.”
Provincial police spokesperson Constable Ndakhe Gwala confirmed the triple killing and said detectives from the Western Cape serious violent crimes unit were following several leads in the investigation into the deaths of two men and a woman in Ekuphumuleni informal settlement in Dunoon, Milnerton, in the early hours of Monday, 23 February 2026.
Gwala said initial reports indicate the victims were shot in front of a shack by unidentified gunmen who fled the scene.
“The motive remains under investigation,” said Gwala.
In a separate incident also on Saturday, three people were fatally shot in Joe Slovo Park township in Milnerton.
He said the triple killing in Joe Slovo Park took place at about 10.30 on Saturday night at Freedom Way.
“ Upon arrival at the scene, members discovered a silver Toyota Avanza with multiple bullet holes. Inside the vehicle were the bodies of two adult females who were declared deceased on the scene. A few metres away, the body of a 36-year-old male was also found.
“According to information provided by a family member, the deceased male was previously involved in the taxi industry, and one of the female victims was reportedly his girlfriend. The motive for the attack is unknown at this stage and the suspects are yet to be apprehended.”
She said the case has been assigned to the Provincial Serious and Violent Crime Detectives for further investigation.
Provincial police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk said two suspected thieves were dragged out of their shacks behind Siyahlala informal settlement and assaulted “by the community” at around 3.30am on Monday.
Van Wyk said one of the men, who was 29-years-old, died of his injuries and the other victim was taken to a hospital for treatment.
“The South African Police Service condemns vigilantism in the strongest possible terms. Acts of mob justice are criminal and pose a direct threat to the safety and stability of our communities. No individual or group has the authority to take the law into their own hands, regardless of the circumstances. Such actions undermine the justice system and fuel further violence,” said van Wyk.
He said detectives were “following all available leads to identify the victims and trace those responsible for this brutal crime”.
Information can be provided anonymously via Crime Stop on 08600 10111, or through the MySAPS mobile application. All information will be treated with the strictest confidentiality, he said.