Cape Town – A Khayelitsha business owner has expressed disappointment after only three of the 11 “persons of interest” in the Site B, Khayelitsha, murders of 13 people at the weekend appeared in court.
The Site B business owner, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation, said the community was already tense and that the release of the eight would make things worse.
“Pictures of those arrested circulated on social media and I could recognise most of them because they had come to collect from us. It is sad that they have been released.
“I had hoped that they would be charged and remain in jail because they are terrorising the community,” the business owner said.
Andile Valishiya, Dominic Isaacs and Fundile Maseti made their first appearance at the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court for one count of murder.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said: “This follows shootings that took place over the weekend in Khayelitsha. Their case has been postponed to June 2 for bail application,” he said.
Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said that investigations could link the three accused who appeared in court today to a case of murder.
“Of the three, one suspect has also been charged for a multiple murder case (of May last year) where seven persons were shot and killed in Khayelitsha. He appeared for that case also at the Khayelitsha court today.
“Meanwhile, a fourth suspect is expected to appear in court in Khayelitsha (today) for another murder case that occurred in March 2021. He was among the 11 who were detained in Sea Point on Monday,” said Potelwa.
She added that as investigations into the 13 weekend murders in Khayelitsha on Saturday continued, the possibility of further arrests could not be ruled out.
Policing expert Eldred de Klerk said police had procedures to follow, including convincing an independent judiciary that they had sufficient grounds to seek the prosecution of certain individuals.
“Extortion is a complex crime that needs to be communicated through evidence.
“Police often need first-hand accounts and following that police have to do long investigations.
“There is a fair expectation from the public that police will arrest on the basis of evidence and not on the basis of an allegation or hearsay.
’’Once that arrest is made, they have a limited time to provide a magistrate with reasonable grounds for continuing to detain a suspect based on the evidence or because they are comfortable that they can find evidence against you.”
He said that releasing “persons of interest” did not mean that the investigations stopped.
Meanwhile, police confirmed that no arrests have been made for the shooting at a house in Sihawu Crescent in Site B on March 8 last year, where six people died and seven were wounded.
No arrests have been made in the shooting in Solomon Tshuku Road, Site C in Khayelitsha on September 30 last year, killing six and leaving four wounded.
The incidents were believed to be extortion-related. Police are still investigating both these cases.
Cape Times