Video
NATIONAL NEWS AND VIDEO - A gun cocked in broad daylight in the middle of a street and a woman – surrounded by young children – holding a gun while standing in her garage door.
These scenes, captured in Google Maps’ Street View images, highlight the cold, hard truth of life in Hanover Park in the Western Cape.
The brazen display of weapons comes as little shock to the National Assembly chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, who spoke to Caxton Local Media about these images.
“It’s common that armed gang members move around like this in parts of the Cape Flats,” he adds.
The images
While Street View has captured its fair share of quirky and fascinating sights, these discoveries do not offer the same stark portrayal of a harsh reality as some locations do.
Take, for instance, a search for Johnvlei Walk, Hanover Park, Cape Town. Here, panning down the street confronts you with a very different scene.
A man cocks a gun while walking down Johnvlei Walk. Image: Google Maps/Screenshot
Zoom in on the above image and you find two men casually walking down the street, with one of them cocking a gun. “In this example, they were probably caught off guard and, therefore, didn’t try and hide it,” Cameron says about the image from October 2022.
Another Street View search, this time of Groenpoort Walk, reveals a similar sight: A woman surrounded by children with what appears to be a pistol barrel clasped in her hands.
A woman in Groenpoort Walk is seen holding the barrel of what seems to be a real firearm. Image: Google Maps/Screenshot
What do these images say about the presence of firearms in local communities in the Western Cape? Cameron explains: “I would be careful to say that it’s local communities in the Western Cape, because gangsterism is mainly concentrated in specific areas, and I wouldn’t generalise to say it is in a large majority of the local communities. It is extremely worrying that certain communities are so exposed to violent criminals.”
He admits that the activities of these criminals often lead to injury and even death.
Cameron believes that images like these can influence public perception. “One would need to use it and almost campaign about it, and share the imagery like you are doing with an article.”
Illegal and illicit firearm possession
He concedes that the issue of illegal and illicit firearm possession and usage in Hanover Park and surrounding communities is a ‘massive problem’, citing the Colonel Chris Prinsloo case.
“Thousands of firearms were distributed [to gangsters], and that is just mentioning the ones we know of that came from police stores. It plays a huge role that illicit firearms (ones stored as evidence or even police firearms) are easily obtained, supplied, maintained and distributed throughout the Cape Flats.”
He mentions that the volume of illicit guns available to gangs was at one stage so high ‘that some gangs didn’t need any more guns’.
Cameron references a book by Mark Shaw, Give us more guns: How South Africa’s gangs were armed, that focuses on the illegal sale of guns to South Africa’s crime bosses.
The Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000 governs the carrying of firearms in public in South Africa. To carry a firearm in public, you must have a valid licence, and the firearm must be carried safely and securely. Handguns must be in a holster or similar holder attached to your person or in a rucksack, while other firearms must be in a designed holder.
Firearms must also be completely covered and under the carrier’s effective control at all times.
“It [your licensed firearm] can only be used as self-defence if a threat against your life is imminent,” Cameron adds.
He adds that in some communities, gun control is problematic – mentioning the recent shootings of at least five people in Lentegeur, Mitchells Plain, and eight in Nyanga. “It happens daily. The number of shootings per day is almost impossible to calculate, even with technology like ShotSpotter.”
Is gun control on target?
Cameron says nothing new is being implemented in terms of firearm control policy and adds that the existing legislation needs to be implemented properly. “What is extremely worrying is the very low rate of conviction when it comes to firearm-related crime. It is less than 1% at the moment, which means these criminals are ‘career criminals’ – they just continue doing as they please, and there is little consequence.”
South African Gun Owners’ Association director Damian Enslin says creating more laws is not the solution to the illegal gun problem. “Criminals do not follow the law. Instead, we need effective policing of the existing robust Firearms Control Act and more resources allocated to specialised firearm units within SAPS.”
Western Cape police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut says: “Firearm-related crime is high on our agenda as it [firearms] is regarded as the weapon of choice in the Western Cape, and numerous crime-combatting initiatives are underway to root out gun-related crime.”
He highlights that in 2024 alone, 2 614 firearms and 102 584 rounds of ammunition were confiscated in the province, with plans to increase this figure in 2025 through frequent operations like Operation Shanela and Lockdown III.
According to Cameron, there is a big gap in specialised investigation and communication between the NPA and the relevant police.
Traut notes their detectives are working closely with the NPA to ensure convictions and prevent habitual criminals from returning to the streets. “Where possible, bail for gang kingpins and violent criminals is opposed to keep them incarcerated.”
Enslin believes the low conviction rate is a result of under-resourced SAPS detective units and specialised units like the anti-gang unit and the Firearms, Liquor and Second-Hand Goods Unit. “This poor conviction rate creates a negative perception among communities, including lawful gun owners.”
However, Claire Taylor, a research and policy analyst at Gun Free South Africa (GFSA), says they have identified loopholes in the act and highlights failures in its enforcement, both by the state in implementation and by citizens in compliance.
“The core issue is police accountability, which is essential for building public trust and effective law enforcement.”
She says despite having multiple oversight structures, the current accountability system is failing. She claims:
- The internal disciplinary system is deeply problematic – SAPS officials facing disciplinary action have a 62% chance of either having their case withdrawn or being found not guilty, compared to just 7% for Department of Correctional Services officials.
- External oversight is equally concerning: SAPS implements less than 25% of IPID’s disciplinary recommendations
- The Civilian Secretariat for Police Service has limited power and essentially plays an advisory role
- There are troubling reports that the Police Inspectorate may be disbanded, despite its vital oversight role
“This systemic lack of accountability has led to a surge in civil claims against the police.”
No comment was received from the NPA by the time of publishing.
Gunshot detection technology
In 2016, Cape Town became the first city in SA to use gunshot detection technology.
A post on SoundThinking, the creators of this technology, explains: “By implementing ShotSpotter, SoundThinking’s acoustic gunshot detection technology, Cape Town Metro Police and SAPS would be notified of virtually all gunfire within [the] coverage area within 30-45 seconds of trigger pull. By ensuring a fast and precise response, law enforcement could initiate life-saving trauma interventions to gunshot wound victims, collect critical evidence for criminal investigations, and aid in getting criminals and their weapons off the streets.”
Cameron says that this technology makes an impact in terms of reaction time and provides data to determine where to deploy resources to prevent some of these offences from being committed.
Taylor believes addressing the proliferation of firearms in communities like Hanover Park requires a comprehensive, two-pronged approach: A more sophisticated recovery strategy and strengthening controls over legal firearms.
Community impact
A mere 75m away from the image taken in Groenpoort Walk, children are seen walking with adults down Ryston Road – and a further 100m away, in Lansia Walk, children are seen playing in the streets.
Children are seen walking down Ryston Road – 75m away from a woman holding a gun in Groenpoort Walk. Image: Google Maps/Screenshot
Cameron admits the prevalence of guns has a significant impact on the community. “It not only poses a threat to the lives of young people, especially children, but also plays a role of intimidation. It causes them to sometimes be forced to do things for gangs. These gangs then basically control the general well-being of young people.”
These communities live in fear, he adds, and mentions areas like Delft, where people do not sleep on beds anymore. “They sleep on the ground because of the danger of crossfire rounds killing them while they are sleeping.”
Taylor notes children are especially vulnerable to being shot, particularly in crossfire.
“Interventions like after-school programmes, youth mentorship initiatives and trauma counselling for young people affected by gun violence can help mitigate the effects of gun violence.”
Children play in Lansia Walk, 180m from Groenpoort Walk. Image: Google Maps/Screenshot
Cameron finds it shocking that in several parts of the Cape Flats, shootings are seen as ‘normal’. “You will be speaking at a school, or attending a meeting, and they start shooting in the street; it seems so normal for these kids. If a window doesn’t break or they do not shoot into a classroom, it’s almost as if no one even flinches.”
Traut adds that SAPS is working closely with the City of Cape Town and other law enforcement agencies to protect the people of the Western Cape ‘against the onslaught of gangsterism and serious and violent crimes’.
“We are making inroads in this regard, as indicated by the crime statistics for the quarter ending September 2024, which show murders have been reduced by 8.7%.”
He says although the murder rate is ‘still alarmingly high’, they are optimistic that their operational plans are an adequate countermeasure for gun violence. “We believe we are on the right track,” he concludes.
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
