Police Attacked In Hanover Park After Arresting Teen With Illegal Gun

A routine gun arrest spiralled into violence in Hanover Park, Cape Town at the weekend when a group of residents allegedly turned on police, attacking officers with stones and attempting to disarm them.

City Mayco Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, said officers had been assisting SAPS in detaining an 18-year-old found with an unlicensed firearm when “a grouping within the community… quickly sprang to the defence of the suspect”.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Grant Kekana’s Name Hijacks Bribe Hearings After Matlala Mentions Sister’s Past Relationship

Smith said the sudden attack “fills me with great anger”, adding that officers were “forced to discharge several rubber rounds” after coming under fire from stone-throwers.

Despite the chaos, the teen suspect was secured, and officers arrested two more people for public violence.

Three Suspects Arrested In Hanover Park

Western Cape police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed that the confrontation unfolded at 08:20 on 29 November 2025 in Surwood Walk.

“Philippi police registered a public violence and attack on law enforcement following an incident… during an arrest of an 18-year-old suspect for possession of an unlicensed firearm,” Van Wyk said.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Hawks Nab Fifth Suspect In Explosive SA–Russia Military Recruitment Scandal

Two men, aged 25 and 28, were arrested for public violence and attacking law-enforcement officers. They are expected to appear in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court on Monday, alongside the teen gun suspect.

City Warns ‘We Will Not Be Intimidated’

Smith urged residents to help identify those responsible for the attack, saying only a “minority” was choosing criminality over community safety.

“I want to reiterate that we will not be intimidated,” he said. “I make a call to the majority to give us information that will help us track down the attackers… We will not stop.”

He highlighted intensified anti-crime operations across Cape Town, saying:

• 520 illegal firearms removed from communities in the last 660 days
• 143 guns seized in Hanover Park alone
• 207 shooting incidents responded to between July and September
• 73 arrests made for firearm possession at Philippi SAPS

Smith said Metro Police, Law Enforcement and Traffic units continue to work closely with SAPS to hold the line against gangsterism and violent crime.

---

For More, Follow SurgeZirc SA On  Facebook, X,  Instagram and Bluesky