Cape Town police hunt three known suspects in wake of shebeen mass shooting

In the wake of a mass shooting that claimed the lives of eight people at a shebeen in Marikana, Philippi East in Cape Town on Saturday, 17 January, violent crimes detectives at the South African Police Service (SAPS) are on the hunt for three identified suspects who are still at large.

Captain FC Van Wyk, media liaison officer at the Western Cape SAPS, said that six victims died on the scene, one on the way to the hospital and another after arriving at the medical facility. The case docket is being updated to reflect eight counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder under investigation.

“The shooting incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning and is believed to be linked to the crime of extortion… Two other victims sustained serious injuries due to the shooting,” said Van Wyk.

Extortion fears

Of those killed during the shooting, which took place shortly after midnight, seven were men and one was the 43-year-old woman who owned the illegal liquor outlet.

While at the scene of the shooting on Saturday, Western Cape police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile told Newzroom Afrika that the SAPS investigation had revealed that the men who entered the shebeen and began firing were extortionists.

“We are now looking for people... We know who we’re looking for; it’s a question of finding them,” said Patekile.

“What we also request of the community is not to work with the extortionists or the people who were collecting money... Especially in these informal settlements, the illegal shebeens and spaza shops, which are very vulnerable, should report to the police. We have a toll-free number where you don’t pay: 080 0314 444. That number has been working in the Western Cape for a while and has been successful in getting these extortionists and these groups that are collecting protection money.”

‘Routine, not exceptional’

Jonathan Cupido, City of Cape Town councillor from the Good party, described the mass shooting as a “brutal reminder that crime statistics are failing to reflect the reality on the ground”. Cupido serves on subcouncil 12, which encompasses the areas of Philippi, Lentegeur, Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain and surrounds.

“According to SAPS, the attack is believed to be linked to extortion. While police have condemned the violence and opened an investigation, the truth is this: this shooting did not come out of nowhere,” Cupido said in a statement on Saturday.

“For months, community crime update groups have been reporting persistent gunfire, shootings and intimidation in affected areas.”

He noted that gunfire in certain areas was “routine, not exceptional”, and called on the SAPS to include all unlawful firearm discharges in its crime statistics, rather than only incidents that resulted in serious injury or death.

“‘Shots fired’, intimidation, gunfire and shooting-in-progress incidents are simply not counted. This matters because resources follow statistics... Until SAPS crime statistics include unlawful firearm discharge and reflect what communities experience, resources will continue to be misdirected, and tragedies like Marikana will repeat themselves,” said Cupido.

Mass shootings have been a persistent and traumatic reality for the residents of Philippi. In October 2025, seven people were shot dead in Philippi East. Just a few months before, in July 2025, three people from the area were gunned down in their home. Local politicians have repeatedly called for action to address the unacceptable levels of violence plaguing the community. DM