Cape Town - A 32-year-old homeless man was shot and killed at Donegal Court in Hanover Park in the early hours of on Monday following continuous gang-related shootings in the area.
Three men were injured.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said the injured were taken to a nearby medical facility and police opened a murder and attempted murder case for investigation. He said the possibility that the incident was gang related cannot be ruled out.
“Police are urging the public to come forward with information that could lead to the successful arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators who fled the scene in two Volkswagen Polos, one grey and one white. The registration numbers are unknown,” he said.
Community police forum spokesperson Kashiefa Mohammed said four shootings in different areas were reported– from Donegal Court, Calway Court, Derwent Court and Onston Road yesterday.
“The victim was an innocent guy sleeping on the street and was shot in a drive-by shooting where two cars were involved. The same car shot all these other guys. Two minutes after the two initial shooting and five meters apart, others were shot. This is an ongoing gang war between rival gangs and the shooting has been going on for more than two years and has turned into daily shootings,” she said.
Chairperson Abraham Ebrahim lambasted the police.
“Who are the police working with? Because they don't want to work with the community or the CPF. They are working on their own and can't seem to come to any conclusions on the shootings. The shooting continues and the gangs are terrorising the community and you ask where is all their intelligence in all of this,” he said.
Mohammed said the deployment of law enforcement officers in the area was for political point-scoring rather than a crime fighting initiative, adding that the people were desperate for real interventions.
“I don't think there are really 60 law enforcement officers in Hanover Park because the shootings would not take place. Instead they removed metro police that were doing a great job.
“In the last two months, there were only six days with no shootings in the area. We do not see this coming to an end unless the community stands up against the shootings and there is more police visibility in our areas.
“When law enforcement were deployed there were no engagements with the CPF or any other crime fighting bodies in the community, hence there is no change in crime. Our people are dying and there have been cries for help because the gangsters have taken over our streets,” she said.
Cape Argus