Another bloody weekend in Cape Town as premier demands answers

While the number of weekend murders in Cape Town may have declined from a week earlier, official statistics still paint a grim picture, with nearly three dozen people killed.

The Western Cape government confirmed in a statement that there were 34 murders reported in the Cape Town metro over the weekend - down from 47 murders the weekend before.

Of these deaths, 21 were as a result of shootings and six of stabbings. Seven were by other means.

“We are relieved to see the number of murders declined over the weekend," said Western Cape premier Alan Winde.

"However, this is of little comfort when 34 families are currently grieving the loss of a loved one. We must be working towards zero - and nothing more.”

Winde said the provincial cabinet would be receiving a report from the Saps and SANDF on crime and safety operations.

"We want to understand what the police, working with the army, are doing to prevent crime and curb violence," he said.

"We are hearing community members on the ground, who were initially positive about the deployment of the army, starting to question their effectiveness. If communities do not feel safer, then the SANDF and the police are not fulfilling their role and their mandate. The national police’s own motto is to ensure that residents 'feel safe', and we are a far cry from that."

According to Winde, five people were murdered in Delft over the weekend and four in Gugulethu. Three murders each were recorded in Manenberg and Philippi, while Khayelitsha, Langa and Harare recorded two murders each.

The rest of the murders were committed in Athlone, Kraaifontein, Lwandle, Grabouw, Somerset West, Mfuleni, Mitchells Plain, Nyanga, Parow, Philippi East, Steenberg, Lingelethu and Samora Machel.