The families of those shot dead by gangsters who went on a killing spree on Tuesday night in Nyanga, shooting six people and killing four, are reeling from the shock of losing their loved ones.

The suspects were apparently on the trail of an alleged gangster who they had been looking for all day.

They smashed a window of his 83-year-old grandmother Nomalizo Khuthu’s house and shot her dead when she said he wasn’t there.

From there they headed to another house in Nyanga, and shot three children, killing Linathi Ngcwangu, 15, and Mbulelo Ngcwangu, 8, and leaving a seven-year-old wounded. A 43-year-old man was also shot and killed.

Friends and neighbours of the family of the three children came to support the family on Wednesday.

Their mother and pregnant aunt, who was at home during the shooting, refused to speak to the Cape Argus, saying they were traumatised.

At Khuthu’s house, family and friends had gathered.

Lindiwe Khuthu said the gangsters entered her mother’s house after breaking a window looking for her nephew.

She said when they could not find him they shot her mother. The children in the house had ran for cover when they broke in.

“I got a call around 11pm to quickly come to my mother’s house and when I came inside I saw blood and she was lying on her face,” she said.

She said it was not the first time they had come looking for the grandson and the last time they had held her mother at gunpoint.

“I will miss her.

“She never had a problem with anyone.

“She was a big help to the community, we loved her and she loved us,” said Lindiwe, who was in tears.

Nomalizo’s granddaughter, Mhinki Bacela, said the gangsters first came to her house during the day looking for her cousin, but luckily they did not shoot her.

“She (Nomalizo) was everything to me, she raised my children, she really loved all of us.

“It still has not sunk in that I will never see her again,” said Bacela.

Police spokeswoman Constable Noloyiso Rwexana said Nyanga police had appealed to the community to help trace the suspects.

She said according to reports, two men, aged 40 and 43, were shot while sitting inside a vehicle at about 6.50pm by two suspects in Sibini Avenue in Zwelitsha, Nyanga.

One victim was taken to hospital where he died on arrival, while the other man survived.

Rwexana said at about 11pm three unidentified suspects went to a house in Sibini Avenue where they shot and killed a 83-year-old after looking for her grandson.

From there the suspects proceeded to a residence in Kuqala Avenue in Zwelitsha where a boy aged 8 and a 15-year-old girl were shot and killed and another child, a girl aged 7 was shot and wounded and taken to hospital, she added.

Rwexana said a 25-year-old man was arrested for a case of attempted murder after a 40-year-old man was shot and wounded. The suspect will appear in court once charged and is facing attempted murder charges.

Nyanga CPF chairman Dumisani Qwebe said it is believed it was gangsters from New Crossroads and Gugulethu who were looking for the grandson.

He said when they could not find who they were looking for, they shot the grandmother.

Qwebe said the family was traumatised by what happened and would need counselling.

Nyanga Cluster CPF chairman Thembela Jacobs said they had been saying for a long time that Nyanga police station was under-resourced.

Jacobs said the police station did not have enough police personnel or vans to cover the area.

“Those in power are not helping those working on the ground.

“We need all the help we can get because we do not have the powers of the government and these gangsters,” he said.

He said another challenge was that the community was afraid to report the gangs because, he claimed, police worked with them.

Western Cape Community Safety MEC Dan Plato said lack of resources at police stations was a general complaint of CPF’s and that provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khombinkosi Jula had admitted they were under-resourced.

Plato said his department was trying to address the issue and at the end of the month he would spend two days in Nyanga to address crime.

[Source: Cape Argus]