‘Nine Months Old’: Infant Among Three Shot Dead in Athlone as SANDF Deployment Looms

A nine-month-old child is among three people killed in a shooting incident in the Cape Town suburb of Athlonea brutal reminder of the violence that has gripped communities just as the state prepares to deploy soldiers to the streets.

The attack occurred on Tuesday night. According to Western Cape police, three suspects are believed to have been involved. The other victims are two women, aged 25 and 36. Two males also sustained gunshot wounds and have been hospitalised.

“Detectives attached to the Serious and Violent Crimes Unit are leading the investigation,” police said in a statement. “Police unequivocally condemn violent crimes, and we assure the residents of Athlone and the broader community that every effort will be made to bring the perpetrators to book.”

The motive for the shooting remains under investigation.

A Nation’s Toll

The deaths add to a grim tally of lives lost to gun violence in Cape Town and other crime hotspots across South Africa. For the family of the nine-month-old, the statistics are now unbearable grief. For communities living under the shadow of gang violence, the shooting is yet another night of terror.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced last week that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) would be deployed to support police in fighting gang violence and organised crime.

“The cost of crime is measured in lives lost and futures cut short,” Ramaphosa said in his State of the Nation Address. “It is felt also in the sense of fear that permeates our society and in the reluctance of businesses to invest.”

The Countdown Begins

Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia provided an update on Tuesday, stating that the South African Police Service and SANDF had met earlier in the week to finalise an operational plan.

“We have agreed that the method of deployment should learn from past experiences,” Cachalia said. He confirmed that soldiers would be deployed within 10 days.

The minister emphasised a multifaceted approach: “This is a decision appreciated across communities that I have visited.” The strategy will involve SAPS units, soldiers, the National Prosecuting Authority, the Special Investigating Unit, and the South African Revenue Serviceaimed at crippling not just the foot soldiers of crime, but the logistical and financial networks that sustain criminal enterprises.

A Race Against Time

The Athlone shooting underscores the urgency. Every day of delay is another day communities remain exposed to the gunfire that has become routine in parts of Cape Town. A nine-month-old child does not die in isolation; the bullet tears through families, neighbours, and the fragile trust that communities place in the state to protect them.

The deployment cannot come soon enough. But as Cachalia acknowledged, the method must be right. Soldiers on streets are a visible deterrent, but lasting safety requires dismantling the networks that arm the gangs and launder their profits.

For the people of Athlone, the promise of deployment offers some hope. But hope is cold comfort when you are burying a baby.

{Source: Citizen}

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