Africa-Press – South-Africa. Two men appeared in court on Wednesday in connection with five murders in the aftermath of a wave of mass killings in Cape Town.
Police said they made another breakthrough in the string of tragedies, by arresting a 25-year-old and 28-year-old in connection with the mass shooting in New Monwabisi Park in Endlovini on 14 March.
Four men and a woman were killed during the shooting.
Thembani Kobe and Sipho Mgijima appeared in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday to face charges of murder.
National Prosecuting Authority Western Cape spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said Kobe was also charged with illegal possession of a firearm, and illegal possession of ammunition which was linked to the mass murders.
Prosecutor, advocate Madoda Peter, told the court that the State would oppose bail.
Organised crime detectives made the arrests.
The 25-year-old was arrested in Cala in the Eastern Cape on Sunday, while the 28-year-old was arrested in Khayelitsha on Tuesday.
During the Khayelitsha arrest, police found an unlicensed gun they believe was used in the shootings.
Meanwhile, thirty-four-year-old Madoda Zwayi was arrested on 11 April and appeared in court on 13 April to face the murder charges brought against him relating to the Endlovini shooting.
That followed a protracted investigation and tracing operation.
“The two arrests bring the number of suspects arrested for the Endlovini multiple murders to three,” said Brigadier Novela Potelwa.
The case was postponed to Friday, 13 May, for them to be joined with Zwayi, who was in the process of applying for bail.
Police also arrested a suspected in connection with the Enkanini mass shooting which occurred on 20 March. Four men and two women were shot dead in Enkanini.
Thirty-five-year-old Thando Shuba first appeared in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on 4 April following his arrest.
Shuba insisted he had an alibi and video to prove that he was not involved in the murders. He was granted bail of R800, which raised eyebrows, given the severity of the allegations against him.
On Sunday night, six more people were shot dead, this time in Site C.
Residents had been left traumatised by the shootings.
Khayelitsha’s properties are a mixture of free standing houses, shacks and built-on rooms.
The people living in the neat streets of that section of Site C, said they did not have anywhere safe to take cover because bullets passed through the corrugated iron of their homes.
Provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile, told the media on Monday that after a shooting, residents claimed not to have seen anything, which made it difficult to investigate.
He said that in the latest shooting, a fair amount of ammunition appeared to have been used, with bullet casings and bodies scattered all over.
This meant police built their investigations with only bullet casings and possible connections between the victims to work from – SAPS hoped residents would discreetly send them information.
The motives for the mass killings were still being nailed down, but could include drug turf rivalry, extortion and gang activity.
Patekile commended the police officers for their “unrelenting efforts” in tracking down the perpetrators.
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