The community of Kraaifontein, Cape Town, is grappling with grief and fear after a tragic shooting claimed the life of an 11-year-old girl and left two others injured. The incident, believed to be gang-related, unfolded on Tuesday evening in Wallacedene and has shaken residents already living under the weight of recurring violence.
At the time of the attack, young Esmine Franke was enjoying the company of her eight-year-old friend near their home in Mti Street when gunfire erupted. The intended target, reportedly a known gang member, escaped without harm, while Esmine and her companions were caught in the crossfire.
“They were sitting outside, and then a boy who is a gangster walked by, and they came after him, and they did not hit him at all,”
said her grieving aunt, Shahieda Franke.
The brutality of the incident is difficult to comprehend for many in the neighbourhood. According to the South African Police Service, shots were fired just after 7:20pm. A 20-year-old man and the eight-year-old girl suffered bullet wounds, while Esmine succumbed to her injuries on the scene.
“We were at home when we heard the gunshots, when we went out, there was no one. Someone called and said I must go and see her; she had been hit,”
Shahieda recalled.
She described the harrowing moment she found her niece still clinging to life.
“She was still alive, she could not talk, she squeezed my hand. When the ambulance got here, they treated my brother who was hit in the legs, and then they realised that Esmine was no longer alive.”
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed that the shooting took place on Tuesday evening and that a murder case along with two attempted murder cases have been opened.
“Kraaifontein police registered a case of murder and two counts of attempted murder following a shooting incident on Tuesday at about 7.20pm at a premises in Mti Street, Wallacedene, Kraaifontein, where an 11-year-old female was shot and fatally wounded, and an eight-year-old female and a 20-year-old male were injured.”
He added further details on the circumstances surrounding the event:
“According to reports, the victims were playing outside when an unidentified suspect approached and started to shoot in the street. All three victims were wounded by stray bullets.”
Van Wyk confirmed that the child was declared dead on the scene by emergency responders, and that the two other victims were transported to hospital. The eight-year-old girl remains under care at Tygerberg Hospital. The 20-year-old man’s condition has not yet been disclosed publicly.
#sapsWC A murder and two counts of attempted murder are being investigated, following a shooting in Kraaifontein where a girl (11) was shot and fatally wounded and girl (08) and a man (20) were injured on Tuesday, 19/08 in Wallacedene, .
This morning, 20 August 2025, members… pic.twitter.com/7LyT8DGwgj
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) August 20, 2025
Authorities suspect the motive behind the shooting is linked to local gang activities. No arrests have been made thus far, and the gunman reportedly fled the scene.
The police are appealing to the public for assistance in their investigation. Anyone with knowledge of the shooting is urged to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or make use of the MySAPS mobile application. All shared information will be handled with the utmost confidentiality.
The Kraaifontein Community Policing Forum (CPF) has expressed its deep sorrow and frustration following the incident.
“From what I heard, this shooting was gang-related, but it still has to be confirmed. We are shocked by what happened and strongly condemn it,”
said Mawethu Sisila, chairperson of the CPF.
Sisila emphasised that the roots of such violence run deeper than the crime scenes themselves.
“Gang violence is not an isolated problem. It is rooted in the conditions of poverty, inequality, and neglect that continue to define life in many of our townships.”
While police continue their efforts to identify and apprehend the suspect, the community remains on edge, once again forced to reckon with the consequences of unrelenting violence. For residents like the Franke family, the pain is immeasurable—and the questions, too many.
