Cape Town – Roegshanda Pascoe from the Manenburg Community Forum has lashed out after two civilians in their twenties, "lying flat on the ground", were allegedly shot by police in Manenberg Avenue.
Pascoe also claimed that it's the "police aggravating and fuelling the violence happening" on the Cape Flats.
"With sadness I was just notified one of the victims in this morning's shooting in Manenberg, known as Pedro, has just passed on. My sincere condolences to the family. I am at a loss for words," she posted on Facebook on Thursday.
Earlier, Pascoe said: "Voetsek, we've had enough of corrupt police; corrupt neighbourhood watches enabling and harbouring this sickness in our communities.
"We're sick of this draconian apartheid judicial system not giving justice to our children's innocent lives lost in the Western Cape."
The two civilians were allegedly by shot by police officers responding to a shootout involving rival gangs. The shootings elicited an angry community response after one man was reportedly shot in the head and the other in the buttocks.
"This may upset people and the police with who I have a very good relation (sic). The truth is that the police shot these guys. They are 'skarelaars', none had a gun in sight. They were shot at while laying flat on the ground.
"Was on the scene personally. That is the report from several people who witnessed the shooting. The stone throwing was probably due to the frustration of the general public as there was also heavy firing to be heard from the Circle.
"A group of almost 20 policemen on the scene did not even attempt to move to investigate the shooting happening at the Circle. They all stood around not even attempting to cordon off the crime scene.
"This might have compounded the frustration of the public. Has always been my concern that at times it's police aggravating and fueling the violence happening."
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) has launched a probe into the shooting.
Ipid spokesperson Moses Dlamini said: “Ipid received a report from the South African Police Service alleging that police responded to a gang-related issue and on arrival at the scene, gangsters fired at the police and police returned fire and, in the crossfire, two people were injured. It is unknown who shot them.
“Police allege the two people who were shot were part of the group that attacked the police.”
Meanwhile, a 2-year-old is recovering in the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital after she got caught in the crossfire during a shootout between gangs in Manenberg.
Rwexana said a case of attempted murder was being investigated after the child was shot on Wednesday at about 9.30am.
“According to reports, a 22-month-old baby and a 19-year-old man were wounded by a stray bullet inside their residence,” said Rwexana.
Detectives were following up possible leads in order to arrest the perpetrators.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde told TimesLive on Thursday that conversations regarding gang violence with national police commissioner General Khehla Sithole on Wednesday were "productive".
He said they had established a commitment to deploy 1 000 more officers to the understaffed Cape Flats area, where 2 200 people have been killed in the past seven months.
"The situation is out of control," he said. "I’m hell-bent on taking action against the crime wave."