Mass shootings in three provinces this week have claimed at least 43 lives, with the latest shooting leaving 10 people dead and 11 injured in Lwandle, near Strand, in the early hours of Sunday morning, 27 September.
This follows on a horrific week for South Africa, with mass shootings in KwaMakhutha, south of Durban, claiming the lives of 12 people on Tuesday night, and last night in Wedela, on Gauteng’s West Rand, where 17 people were killed at a tavern. Eight gunmen, some armed with AK-47 rifles, are being sought in the Wedela shooting.
A shooting incident in Khayelitsha, also on Saturday night, saw four people shot dead.
Western Cape MEC of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais, has condemned the horrific loss of life in the two separate shooting incidents in the province.
“These are horrific acts of violence that have left communities traumatised. There can be no justification for the deliberate taking of so many lives, and my thoughts are with the families and loved ones of all those who have lost their lives.”
In the Khayelitsha incident, four men were killed in a shooting in Mthuma Street, Site C, on Saturday evening. Three victims were declared deceased at the scene, while a fourth succumbed to his injuries after being transported to a medical facility.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, 10 people were killed and 11 injured when gunmen opened fire at an entertainment establishment in Lwandle. SAPS has established a multidisciplinary team led by Serious and Violent Crime detectives to investigate the attacks.
“Every person who had a hand in these attacks must be held accountable and prosecuted where the evidence supports it. Those who supply firearms to criminals, those who organise violent attacks and those who carry them out must understand that their actions will not be tolerated. Following the chain of responsibility is essential if we are to disrupt the networks that continue to put firearms into the hands of criminals.”
Meanwhile, the MMC of Safety and Security, JP Smith, says the brazen nature of the shootings countrywide shows the national crisis we are facing when it comes to violent crime and murders by syndicates that have “completely lost their humanity.”
“This crisis has been given the oxygen to flourish due to prolonged national policing failures, and now course-correcting at this point will be extremely difficult, but urgent reform is needed to combat this through better detection methods, increased use of crime intelligence and having secure methods for communities to report threats safely.”
Smith says these syndicates must be found, convicted and removed from society.
“Nationally, the criminal justice system must act to stop this. They cannot ignore this threat any longer.”
Smith says they have reached out to Provincial SAPS management to offer assistance from the City’s Safety and Security investigations and information management services (SSIU, SSIMS), and they will provide any other support they require, including technology and additional resources.
