Africa-Press – South-Africa. Cape Town – There has been another fatal shooting in Mitchells Plain, just two days after five teenagers were shot and two killed on Thursday evening.
On Saturday, four men were shot and killed in Maureen Street in Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain. One other man was wounded.
This latest shooting comes just days after a 13-year-old boy and an 18-year-old boy were shot and killed, and three other teenagers aged 14, 16 and 18, were wounded while they stood on the corners of Cadillac and Riley Street, Beacon Valley.
Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut said: “Our detectives are probing the circumstances surrounding a shooting incident this afternoon at around 12:15 in Maureen Street Lost City, Mitchells Plain, which left four male victims fatally wounded and one injured. The victims, aged 30, 36, 37 and 64 were shot and killed at close range while a 37-year-old male victim escaped the attack with a gunshot wound.
“It is alleged that unknown suspects opened fire at the group of five and fled the scene on foot. They are yet to be arrested and we are making an appeal to the community to approach us with information.”
The chairperson of the Cape Flats Safety Forum Abie Isaacs said these shootings are just the tip of the iceberg.
“For the past 92 hours, there has been a rapid increase in shootings in Mitchells Plain. The acting provincial commissioner indicated a task team would be set up, but we firmly believe that crime intelligence should have picked up on this and that something was going to happen.
“We have been saying that there is urban terror on the Cape Flats and there seems to be no will from the agencies to deal with this urban terror.”
Police confirmed that a task team had been set up and have appealed to the community to work with authorities and come forward with information that can lead to arrests.
Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz said he was deeply angered by the spate of mass shootings in the Cape Flats.
Fritz said: “I will be visiting Mitchells Plain following the spate of mass shootings over the weekend. Additionally, the Department of Community Safety will be expediting the rollout of additional law enforcement and violence prevention efforts through the establishment of Area Based Teams (ABT) in communities most affected by violent crime.
“I was disgusted to hear yet again of a shooting which took place today at 12:15 noon, claiming the lives of four and injuring one in Maureen Way, Tafelsig… We have seen a spate of mass shootings over the past weekend which are deeply concerning.”
In a separate incident, a 15-year-old girl was caught in the crossfire of a gang-related shooting on Friday night in Lotus River while reportedly sitting outside her home.
Fritz said: “I have been informed that SAPS in the Western Cape are taking a multi-disciplinary approach to clamping down on those involved and are utilizing resources from the Anti-Gang Unit, Visible policing, detectives, among others. Further that four cases of murder have been opened and one case of attempted murder.”
Anyone who can assist SAPS in their investigation have been urged to contact their local SAPS, call Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or using the TipOff function on the MySAPS cellphone application.
Weekend Argus
