Motive behind mass shooting in Khayelitsha still unknown despite arrests

Site B has become a talk of the town again after the owner of Ngquks Place and three other people were gunned down on Sunday 26 March.


Site B has become a talk of the town again after the owner of Ngquks Place and three other people were gunned down on Sunday 26 March.

At least five other people were injured during the shooting.

The motive is still unknown.

Khayelitsha Community Policing Forum (CPF) chair Monde Bambelo described the incident as shocking.

He urged the government to intervene and rid the streets of illegal firearms.

Bambelo said mass killings have become a feature in Khayelitsha. Last year, Khayelitsha experienced a series of mass shootings in different communities.

“Government must not relax. We need a gadget that is going to detect guns. It seems everyone has a gun in this country and the government is quiet as if is enjoying this. We are not safe at all in our communities,” he said, adding that guns and drugs were the main challenge.

Bambelo refused to go into detail about the incident. He said he needed to obtain some information from the police.

“I’m not fully aware of what happened. I just heard about the incident. But as CPF, we say enough is enough. People have been dying with guns in Khayelitsha. We need to stand up and unite against crime”.

Provincial police spokesperson Col André Traut said an integrated operation by various police units, during the early hours of Monday 27 March, led by detectives of the Provincial Serious and Violent Crimes unit resulted in the arrest of two suspects aged 22 and 30.

According to Traut, on Sunday at around 00:40 four men aged between 33 and 42 were shot and killed while they were travelling in a (vehicle) in Y Block Khayelitsha in what they believe was a retaliation attack after accusations of a hijacking.

He said during the incident, five other males aged between 23 and 39 were shot and wounded.

“The police initiated an intensive investigation which led to the arrest of the two suspects. The matter are still under investigation, but detectives are in pursuit of more suspects who were possibly involved.  One of the victims, who was injured during the mass shooting, was also arrested in hospital for the hijacking case,” said Traut.

He said, in total, three firearms were recovered during the incident and the subsequent arrests. 

“Once charged, the detained suspects are expected to make their court appearances in Khayelitsha where two will face four charges of murder, five charges of attempted murder and the possession of unlicensed firearms while the third suspect will face a charge of vehicle hijacking,” he concluded.  

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