KwaNdelu Shisanyama, a food establishment in Lwandle, Cape Town, has apologised to the families of the 10 people killed and 11 others wounded in a mass shooting at its premises on Sunday. The shooting occurred at about 1.46am when gunmen stormed the establishment and opened fire on patrons. KwaNdelu expressed its condolences and apologised to the families of those killed, the injured, its employees, and the wider community. The establishment described itself as a food establishment whose business centres on braaied meat and other food, and said it does not sell alcohol.
The normal trading hours of KwaNdelu are strictly until 10 pm, but videos circulating on social media show patrons consuming alcohol at the establishment shortly before the shooting. KwaNdelu acknowledged that its premises had remained active well beyond its normal operating hours on the night of the shooting due to a Heritage Day celebration. The establishment said it recognises there are many questions surrounding the circumstances of the tragic incident and that it will allow the relevant authorities to establish the facts.
The shooting has sparked political reactions, with opposition parties calling for urgent measures to tackle violent crime in the province. EFF Western Cape provincial chairperson Unathi Ntame said the Lwandle massacre was not an isolated incident and blamed what he described as failures in policing and safety in predominantly black communities. Ntame called on Western Cape police to urgently deploy additional resources to investigate the massacre and other unresolved cases.
The Alliance of Citizens for Change (ACC) described the scale of the killings as horrifying and reiterated its support for the reinstatement of the death penalty. The party said these massacres reinforce its call for the reinstatement of the death penalty and will pursue this policy position through constitutional and democratic processes. The ACC also called on the government to consider targeted lockdowns and intensive security operations in communities experiencing extreme levels of violent crime.
DA spokesperson on police Lisa Schickerling said South Africa could not become accustomed to heavily armed criminals walking into public places, killing people, and disappearing without consequences. Schickerling said these attacks demand more than manhunts after the bloodshed and that South Africa needs a stronger crime intelligence capability to penetrate criminal networks and disrupt gangs.
According to police, five people died at the scene while another five succumbed to their injuries after being taken to medical facilities. Police said 11 people were wounded, and Western Cape police commissioner Lt-Gen Sizakhele Dyantyi has established a multidisciplinary team to investigate the massacre and hunt for those responsible. The police have appealed to anyone with information that could assist the investigation to come forward.
Investigators are probing whether business rivalry could have been behind the attack, though the motive has not yet been established. SA Police Service management has increased police deployments in Lwandle while detectives continue their investigation and search for the gunmen. No arrests have been made, and the police have assured that all information received will be treated in strict confidence.
Key points
- KwaNdelu Shisanyama apologised for the Lwandle massacre that killed 10 people and wounded 11 others.
- The shooting has sparked political reactions, with opposition parties calling for urgent measures to tackle violent crime in the province.
- Investigators are probing whether business rivalry could have been behind the attack, though the motive has not yet been established.
