Pregnant woman shot dead in her Cape Town home

A pregnant woman has died in hospital after she was shot in her own home in Bonteheuwel, as gang violence continues to ravage the embattled Cape Town neighbourhood.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana said the 30-year-old woman was gunned down at 5.30pm in Terblanche Street on Wednesday.

She later died in hospital.

The shooting is believed to be gang-related.

Rwexana confirmed that no arrests had yet been made.

Local ward councillor Angus McKenzie said the woman’s murder “would appear to be an assassination rather than just a random shooting”.

“It is believed the individual walked into the house, shot her in the chest and back, and left. It is part of an ongoing gang battle between two rival gangs in one section of Bonteheuwel,” he said.

The Hard Livings and Playboys gangs are understood to be embroiled in a turf war.

McKenzie said law enforcement and police had increased their visibility in the neighbourhood, about 15km outside the city centre.

Last year, 44 people were murdered within six months in the area.

A drastic decrease in casualties was seen after the deployment of the army and 100 law enforcement officers, which increased visibility in Bonteheuwel.

The reorganising of street committees and other community-based safety networks also contributed to the decline in killings, local organisations said.

According to McKenzie, there had been “non-stop shooting” in a small area and: “SAPS has not been able to put a lid on this.”

This had resulted in, not only gangsters dying, but also innocent people being affected, he said.

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