Cape Town - The devastated family of 23-year-old Vathiswa Langa say their daughter was “at the wrong place at the wrong time” when suspects fired shots at five people killing three people including her in Gugulethu.
Langa and the two men who have since been identified as Lefa Ngulube, 31, and Kabelo Molelle ,19, were shot dead when gunmen drove past the corners of Malunga Street and NY8 in Malunga Park at about 8pm on Sunday.
Two other men aged 32 and 33 were wounded and transported to a medical facility.
Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said a 72-hour activation plan to probe the circumstances leading to the murders and the attempted murder had been implemented. No one has been arrested.
He said occupants of a white Toyota Corolla opened fire at a group of people.
Langa’s cousin, Sikho Langa said they rushed to the scene after residents informed the family about the incident.
“Residents went to inform the family that she was lying on the street and shot. As the family we called each other and went to the scene to confirm if it was really her. We have been informed that people in a car were searching for someone they wanted and spotted him there on the street. However he managed to evade them and ran away.
“The vehicle of the suspects turned back in anger of not catching the person they wanted and randomly fired shots. It is still unbelievable and we are calling for no stone to be left unturned. Justice must prevail.”
The young mother of a 4-year-old child has been described as a bubbly and kind person who was full of life.
Langa’s friends also took to social media to share their shock and pain at her loss.
In the past three years, Gugulethu had been engulfed by regular merciless mass killings, said Gugulethu Development Forum (GDF) spokesperson Lumkile Mzukwa
Mzukwa said the community had been left frightened and traumatised by daily robberies and random killings on the streets.
“We are calling for the might and competency of the SAPS to investigate this heinous act. We need the report as soon as possible, in terms of who are the continuous perpetrators of these crimes. We have gone as far as contacting Police Minister Bheki Cele, for his intervention noting that the Gugulethu Police Station does not have the necessary capacity in combating crime,” he said.
Some of those shot were “not clean, one was out on bail,” said Cele.
He said police were probing if it was revenge killing, extortion or gang-related.
“Knowing what happened will assist us to know the motive. We request that bail is not granted when we arrest the suspects of this shooting. We are crying over that. In the Khayelitsha mass shooting one of the suspects was granted R800 bail and fortunately another suspect couldn’t afford to pay for his bail,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lwandle in Strand has also been riddled with mass shootings, with its police station recording an 81.3% murder increase during the fourth quarter crime statistics.
Community leaders in Lwandle have since called for increased policing after two Somali shopkeepers were shot dead last week allegedly by suspected extortionists.
Bodies of two men were also found with gunshot wounds on April 12 and May 8.
Anyone with information about the incident or can help the families of the deceased can contact investigating officer Thandokazi on 082 411 2735 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
Anyone with information about the Gugulethu shooting can anonymously call Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or by using the My SAPS mobile application.
Cape Times