Cape Town - A spate of mass shootings in the city has prompted Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz and provincial police commissioner Yolisa Matakata to meet for talks.
The two are scheduled to meet on Wednesday to discuss the “serious issue” of gangsterism and the spate of shooting incidents that occurred over the past weeks.
Mass shootings have been recorded in Hanover Park, Joe Slovo (Milnerton), Ravensmead, Philippi, Nyanga and Khayelitsha. Fritz said the incidents were completely unacceptable.
Fritz said gangsters and criminal elements cannot be allowed to continue exploiting and terrorising communities as seen last week.
Five people were shot and killed on Thursday evening in Joe Slovo allegedly by six suspects. Tyrone Philander, 32, a brother of retired Proteas cricketer Vernon Philander, was shot and killed in a street in Ravensmead on Wednesday.
A 28-year-old man was shot and killed in Hanover Park while seven others were injured and taken to hospital in Galilee Court. On the same day Bongani Makasi, a brother of the Nyanga Community police forum chairperson Martin Makasi, was shot and killed in Nyanga a week ago.
Six people were shot dead and four more wounded in a mass shooting in Solomon Tshuku Road, Site C, in Khayelitsha, also a week ago.
Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said the provincial police have observed with concern a disturbing spate of shooting incidents that resulted in multiple murders and injuries over the past weeks.
Potelwa said that prompted the police management to look closely into the pattern in a bid to prevent further loss of life or injury and apprehend those responsible for the crimes.
She said: “Once all factors have been determined, the mobilisation and deployment of the appropriate resources will unfold.”
Potelwa said the engagement of the various role-players was also in the pipeline, including the office of the Community Safety MEC, as an inclusive response to the crimes experienced.
“The approach is envisaged to arrest this emerging pattern thereby creating safety in the identified communities in a sustainable manner,” Potelwa said.
ANC provincial spokesperson on community safety Mesuli Kama called on the police to beef-up investigation to bring the criminal(s) to book and to investigate the possible role of gangs and/or groups that terrorise or wilfully destabilise the communities.
Kama said no mercy should be shown to let justice prevail or bail given to suspects of such heinous crimes.
Community Policing Forum (CPF) provincial chairperson Francina Lukas said the police must pull up their socks. “This seems like a continuous war raging in townships where gangsters fight over territory and protection money. This has gone too far and too many lives have been lost in the process.”
Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation is urged to contact the Crime Stop number 0860010111 or connect via the MySAPSApp.
Cape Argus