Cape Town: The 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence got off to a grim start when a 37-year-old woman was shot and killed by an unknown suspect in Freedom Way, Milnerton.
According to reports, it is believed that the woman was on her way to work when she was shot and fatally wounded.
Provincial spokesperson Captain Frederick van Wyk said while the cause of the incident was unclear, a murder case had been filed and is being investigated.
“The woman in question sustained several gunshot wounds to her body and was declared dead on the scene by paramedics. Furthermore, it is alleged that her cellphone and handbag were found on the ground next to her body at the scene.
“While no arrests have been made as yet, a case of murder was registered and is under investigation,” said Van Wyk.
Milnerton Community Policing Forum (CPF) said in a statement that while any kind of murder of was unacceptable, the forum unreservedly condemns crimes against vulnerable women.
“The Milnerton CPF unequivocally condemns this atrocious, senseless act of yet another murder in the suburb of Phoenix. Murder of any kind is unacceptable, and even more heinous when perpetrated against defenceless women, such as the victim, who was on her way to work.
“To clamp down on the perpetrators, we believe that more funds need to be raised in order to install more monitored CCTV cameras in strategic locations, such as the busy areas in Freedom and Democracy Way and residents are encouraged to advise SAPS if they know of any member of the public engaging in illegal activities.
“While the fight for justice comes with a brewing issue of residents being threatened with their lives should they speak to the authorities, unfortunately statements need to be made to SAPS for these criminals to be arrested and found guilty by the courts,” the Milnerton CPF said.
“This is one of the main reasons why way too many criminals get away with these acts as not many residents will stand up to them and expose them. Hence the safety of whistle-blowers needs to be guaranteed, because this will then result in more of these criminal elements being removed from our streets.”
Weekend Argus