Brazen Court Shooting Linked to Gang Violence

Dear Editor

The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Police to account to Parliament for the continued failures in securing our communities, our prisons – and now also our courts. We will be requesting that these Ministers appear before the Justice Committee and the Select Committee on Security and Justice, respectively.

We strongly condemn the brazen assassination carried out inside the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court building on Tuesday. The attack is yet another reminder of the pervasive and escalating gang violence terrorising communities across the Cape Flats. The fact that a war between gangs and taxi bosses can spill into the very building tasked with prosecuting these crimes poses serious questions about public safety – both inside and outside the courtroom.

The Justice Department spends exorbitant amounts of money on contracts to provide security at our courts, yet the perpetrator was able to enter the building with a firearm due to a metal detector not functioning. After the shooting, he was able to exit the building through the same security checkpoint unhindered.

The DA demands that the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development provides answers to how such a catastrophic failure could be allowed to take place by security contractors. While we note the Justice Committee’s proactive steps to conduct an oversight inspection at the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court, the issue stems much deeper to all the courts and we therefore request the Minister account for this incident in front of the Committee.

This incident further underscores the urgent need to address the systemic rot that enables such violence. The DA has long called for proactive interventions to disrupt the flow of illegal firearms and narcotics into our communities. Which is why the DA will further reiterate its request for the Ministers of Police to urgently appear before the Select Committee on Security and Justice.

The DA will maintain strict oversight over this case as this incident speaks to a wider collapse of accountability across various state departments. Cape Flats residents deserve to live without fear of constant violence, be it in the street, in their homes or at government institutions.

Regards

Adv. Glynnis Breytenbach MP
DA Spokesperson on Justice and Constitutional Development