Cape Town - Muizenberg police are investigating the death of a 3-year-old boy and the wounding of his father in a shooting on Monday night.
According to police spokesperson Novela Potelwa, reports at the disposal of the police indicated that the father, 26, was outside his home in Tafelberg Road, Hillview, in Lavender Hill, with his son, chatting to a friend when the gunman, whose face was concealed, emerged and fired shots.
Potelwa said the victim ran into the house with the child and the gunman followed. “Both the father and the child were wounded. The child died on arrival at a medical facility in Retreat. The investigation is pursuing various possibilities, including that the incident could be gang-related,” Potelwa said.
Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz said the spike in gang-related violence was of great concern.
“We have seen a significant number of gang-related incidents in our communities as we moved from alert level 4 to alert level 3. Gangs are taking advantage of the reduced alert level to settle scores and cause havoc in communities. We will not allow this to happen. Despite our response to Covid-19, the Western Cape Government has not abrogated its commitment to making communities safe.”
The Western Cape Safety Plan remained committed to halving the murder rate over the next 10 years. “As such, my department would continue to work with the police, Law Enforcement Advancement Programme, neighbourhood watches and all other stakeholders,” he said.
Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation is urged to contact the Crime Stop number 0860010111 or via the MySAPSApp.
Correctional Services provincial Commissioner Delekile Klaas has rejected statements linking the release of offenders on parole with a spike in gang-related shootings in the Cape Metro.
Klaas said the offenders who were released as part of Covid-19 parole process were low risk offenders who were incarcerated for non-violent crimes and as at June 10, only 477 offenders were released from the Western Cape correctional facilities.
Reagen Allen, MPL and DA Western Cape community safety spokesperson welcomed the investigation and said it was imperative that those responsible are caught, charged and brought to book.
“A child was brutally killed and the culprits deserve the harshest punishment,” Allen said.