The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in the Western Cape is shocked and outraged by the mass shooting that occurred in the early hours of Sunday, 27 September, at a shisanyama in Lwandle, Strand. This heinous act of violence has claimed the lives of 10 people and left 11 others injured, adding to the growing toll of gun violence that is devastating our communities.
According to reports, two gunmen entered the entertainment venue just before 2 am and indiscriminately opened fire on patrons. Eight men and two women were killed, with five victims declared dead at the scene and five others succumbing to their injuries in hospital. This attack follows another mass shooting in Wedela township in Gauteng on the same weekend, where 17 people were killed, bringing the total death toll from these two incidents to 27.
COSATU Western Cape extends its deepest condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of the victims. We wish the injured a full and speedy recovery. The working class has once again borne the brunt of a senseless act of violence that has no place in our society.
This shooting is not an isolated incident but part of a broader crisis of violent crime that continues to spiral out of control in the Western Cape. COSATU has long warned that crime in our province is reaching catastrophic levels. As we have consistently stated, the persistent crisis of violent crime is rooted in chronic underdevelopment, unemployment, poverty, and the deliberate weakening of police intelligence capacity. The Western Cape government’s attempts to present violent crime as solely a policing problem are both misleading and dangerous.
The proliferation of illegal firearms is a direct contributor to this carnage. COSATU has repeatedly called for tighter control of guns in our society. The statistics are damning; 33 South Africans are killed by firearms daily, and this rate has doubled over the past two decades. Over 24 legal firearms are stolen every day, and 29% of murders are gun related. The Firearms Amendment Bill, which COSATU supports, provides rational and fair measures to stem the flood of guns used to kill over 12,000 people annually. We reiterate our call for its urgent passage and implementation.
COSATU Western Cape demands the following:
1. An expedited and thorough investigation into the Lwandle mass shooting, with the multi disciplinary team established by the Western Cape Police Commissioner being provided with all necessary resources to ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly arrested and prosecuted.
2. Urgent and adequate resourcing of police stations in working class communities, including Lwandle, Strand, and surrounding areas. This must include a station by station audit of personnel, vehicles, detective services, and crime intelligence capacity.
3. The urgent appointment of a Provincial Head of Crime Intelligence and a coordinated strategy to identify, infiltrate, disrupt, and dismantle organised criminal networks operating in the Western Cape.
4. Accelerated passage of the Firearms Amendment Bill to introduce stricter controls on private gun ownership, including a central ballistics database and limitations on the number of firearms and ammunition individuals may possess.
5. A comprehensive socio economic intervention that addresses the root causes of crime, including mass unemployment, poverty, and inequality, which have created the conditions in which gangs, extortion, and organised crime flourish.
COSATU Western Cape calls on all workers and community members to unite against this scourge. We cannot allow our communities to be held hostage by criminals. We will continue to mobilise, protest, and demand that government take decisive action to ensure the safety and security of all our people.
The right to life is enshrined in our Constitution, and the state has an obligation to protect it. Enough is enough.
Issued by COSATU Western Cape
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