Cape Town – Bonteheuwel residents and police came under fire from gangsters yesterday as the community protested against the murder of a pregnant resident.
The 30-year-old woman died after being shot at about 5.30pm on Wednesday and no one has been arrested. The woman, pregnant with twins, was the wife of an alleged gang leader and was killed in what has been called an "assassination".
Bonteheuwel ward councillor Angus Mckenzie said: “There have been gang rivalries since December. The attack on her was so brazen.
"The suspect drove over to her house, stopped the car and went into the house, shot her and drove away. It is part of a war between two gangs.”
Mckenzie said the situation in that section of Bonteheuwel was still volatile.
“After the murder of the young lady there were disruptions, in which some community members tried to start a protest. There were gunshots towards the police.
"They dispersed the crowd very quickly. Then the army was called in and the situation was stable and we will maintain law enforcement.”
Mckenzie said he was now concerned about the retaliation that would probably take place as a result of the woman’s shooting.
Anyone with information about the incident can anonymously contact Crime Stop at 086 001 0111 or SMS Crime Line at 32211.
The shooting came a day after 7-year-old Emaan Solomons was shot while playing outside her Ocean View home on Tuesday.
Two suspects were arrested yesterday in connection with the shooting.
Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said the suspects, aged 19 and 27, would appear in the Simon’s Town Magistrate’s Court today.
Potelwa said members of the Anti-Gang Unit, Public Order Police, National Intervention Unit and police from neighbouring stations were patrolling the area following the torching of four houses on Wednesday night
“It is alleged that a group of unidentified individuals set the houses alight. Cases of arson were opened for investigation.
"A stern warning was issued to all communities to refrain from taking the law into their own hands as doing so would leave the police with no option but to arrest and charge those responsible. The forces will remain on the ground until calm is restored.”
The houses were said to belong to alleged drug dealers. A neighbour who wanted to remain anonymous said a child playing with Emaan at the time she was shot was taken to the hospital because she was traumatised.
“It’s a losing battle for the neighbourhood watch because these gangsters shoot to kill. We lost a neighbour two years ago in the same way. I feel so embarrassed to live in Libra,” she said.
Emaan’s distraught parents have since moved to another area. The family said Emaan’s mother could not handle having to look at where her daughter’s lifeless body had been.
Sonja Alexander, whose house was also torched, said she did not understand why they burnt her home because her son was not part of a gang any more.