A police officer was shot dead in Browns Farm, Philippi, in a killing that forms part of a violent 24-hour stretch in Cape Town that left seven people dead.

What Happened in Browns Farm

Police said the officer was off duty when he was shot on Monday evening, 19 January 2026. The victim was a 48-year-old member attached to the Rapid Rail Unit in Pinelands.

According to police reports, two suspects who have not yet been identified allegedly shot the officer in the upper body before fleeing the scene. The officer reportedly died at the scene.

Murder Docket Opened as Detectives Investigate

A murder docket has been opened, with detectives assigned to probe the circumstances and motive. Police have not made any arrests.

Western Cape Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile conveyed condolences to the officer’s family and colleagues. Police said the officer’s identity is being withheld until his next of kin have been formally informed.

Six More People Killed in Two Cape Town Shootings

Police said that after the Browns Farm shooting, four people were killed in an early-morning attack in Melck Street, Ndabeni. Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut said Maitland police were alerted after a passerby reported a dog lying in a pool of blood. Officers found three women aged 20 to 52 and an adult male inside an informal dwelling. All four had fatal gunshot wounds.

About five minutes later, another shooting was reported at the Maitland cemetery in Voortrekker Road. Four men were shot, with two men aged 35 and 36 declared dead at the scene. Two others aged 31 and 32 were taken to a medical facility for treatment. Traut said the motive is believed to be gang-related, with Anti-Gang Unit detectives investigating two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder.