Pretoria - Police in the north and east of Tshwane have embarked on a search following two shack deaths.
In Mamelodi police were yesterday searching for three men in connection with the murder of a 9-month-old baby girl and the shooting of her 39-year-old mother.
One of the suspects was carrying a firearm when they broke into a shack and shot and killed the infant.
Mamelodi police spokesperson Captain Johannes Maheso said the suspects, wearing balaclavas, broke into the shack in Mamelodi east extension 12 in the early hours of last Friday.
“One of the intruders was carrying a firearm when they broke into the shack, and shot and killed the baby girl.
“They also shot her mother in the upper body,” said Maheso.
He said the men forced open the door while the mother and daughter were asleep.
“They fled on foot with money they stole from the mother. The baby girl died on the scene.”
Maheso said the mother was taken to hospital and is in a “serious but stable” condition.
“Mamelodi East police have already started with the investigations of cases of murder, attempted murder, and house robbery,” he added.
Further north, Loate police are on a manhunt in connection with the death of a 26-year-old woman who died in a shack fire last Friday.
Police spokesperson Captain Samuel Sebola they were searching for Peter Malema.
“We believe Malema can help us with information regarding the death of Lehlogonolo Papo, whose body was found burnt inside a two-room shack in Winterveldt in the early hours of Friday, ” he said.
Sebola said police found that the shack had burnt down.
“Her body was found inside the shack. It is alleged that the victim was staying with her boyfriend.
“He was not at the scene and his whereabouts are still unknown.
“Neighbours tried to contain the fire but Papo did not make it,” he said.
It was not yet known what had caused the blaze, but investigations were continuing, Sebola said.
“We are asking for the community’s help in finding Malema, who can assist with the information regarding this matter.”
The victim’s younger brother, Neo Maleka, said the family was struggling to cope with Lehlogonolo’s death, as they were
still questioning what might have led to the fire.
“The situation is very bad.
“Everyone feels very bad at home, although we know we could not have done much.”
Maleka said they saw that the door was locked when they found her.
“We found her burnt inside the shack.
“My sister was a fighter… there was no way that she would have sat there and not fought for her life.”
He said they were still struggling to get the strength to tell her 4-year-old son what had happened to his mother.
“The family decided not to tell him what is going on but will tell him when he has grown up.
“At the time of the incident, he was visiting his grandmother,” Maleka said.
Pretoria News