Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has condemned the gang-related fatal shooting of three people in two separate incidents in Mitchells Plain on Tuesday.
In the first incident, two men aged 20 and 22 were shot and killed at the Hazeldene taxi rank. Five others were wounded in the attack, including a six-year-old girl and two boys aged 12 and 13. In a separate incident, a 26-year-old woman was gunned down on Merrydale Street in Portlands.
The shootings come nearly a week after the deployment of the South African National Defence Force to assist police in crime-stricken areas on the Cape Flats.
Winde stressed that the presence of the military must yield tangible results in curbing violence.
“We’ve had the military deployment to come and boost SAPS, and of course, we’ve got LEAP officers and law enforcement officers to also boost the manpower on the ground. We have to bring an end to this gang shooting, to the gang turf warfare, to the drugs that get sold to our children. We’ve got to make sure that we get law and order,” he said.
Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut confirmed that Anti-Gang Unit detectives are investigating both cases.
“SAPS condemns these senseless acts of violence in the strongest possible terms, especially where innocent members of the community, including children, are caught in the crossfire. Such incidents have no place in our communities, and every available resource is being utilised to track down those responsible and bring them to justice,” Traut said.
Police have urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the MySAPS mobile application anonymously.
Meanwhile, residents have raised concerns about the effectiveness of the military deployment.
Chairperson of the Mitchells Plain United Residents Association, Michael Jacobs, said the situation on the ground remains dire.
“We have seen that the army has been deployed in Mitchell’s Plain with much fanfare and media hype. However, the reality on the ground is that gang killings and violence is continuing with impunity,” he said.
Jacobs added that the community must work together with law enforcement to tackle the ongoing violence.
“We condemn the killings within the Mitchells Plain area, and we ask that the community rally together with the police to stem gun violence, which is killing our community members.”
VOC News
Photo: VOCfm/Stockfile
