Africa-Press – South-Africa. Western Cape police are hunting for armed gunmen who shot dead five people in Gugulethu on Monday night.
It is understood that a lawyer and a prison warden were among the victims.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa said officers were called to Fenqe Street, where they found two vehicles with the dead men inside.
“Reports indicate the victims were sitting inside two vehicles when another vehicle with armed men emerged and shots were fired at the occupants of the two vehicles,” said Potelwa.
The victims were between the ages of 46 and 52.
Potelwa said provincial organised crime detectives were assigned to the case. No arrests had been made.
A spokesperson for Gugulethu’s community policing forum (CPF), Linda Kabeli, said the community was “shaken” and “traumatised” by the incident.
“This mass killing took place in our area, which is deeply concerning. We are very worried about the increased level of crime,” said Kabeli.
He called on police to act swiftly to apprehend the shooters.
“We cannot confirm if the men killed were from the area. But we know that these victims belonged to families who were possibly waiting for them to return home when they were killed. We pray those families find peace and comfort in this sorrowful time,” said Kabeli.
Kabeli said the CPF had started mobilising for a crime prevention march, which was set to take place in the coming weeks.
He added:
“Our voices must be heard. We can no longer be held hostage by criminals who think nothing of the next person’s life,” said Kabeli.
The MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen, said he was “deeply concerned about what was transpiring in Gugulethu”.
He said the recent quarterly crime statistics showed an increase of 37.2% in the murder rate in the area.
“We have been making positive strides in the area and need to maintain this,” he said.
“We cannot allow the criminal element to again get their filthy and murderous claws in our communities. I am horrified by this mass killing.
“Life should not be this cheap, [where] others decide that they can take it as they please. These heartless killers must swiftly be arrested.”
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