Cape Town - The traumatised family of the four people killed in a shooting in Browns Farm near Philippi on Heritage Day, believe a family member might be able to lead police to the murderers.
Late on Thursday evening, two gunmen stormed into the Mahashe home in Makhosi Street, and killed four people.
The shooting left Nomqwazana Mahashe, 69, Asanele Mahashe, 30, Sithule Mahashe, 18, and Ahlume Mahashe, 10, dead and one man injured.
Traumatised neighbour, Nompumezo Dyantyi was in her home, which is on the same plot as the Mahashe house, at the time of the shooting.
Dyantyi said: “It was Heritage Day, so we were having a bit of a party when my friend went into the house to go to the toilet.”
She said she saw two men push her friend through the doorway and into the Mahashe home. She then heard what she thought were fireworks, and when she went to the Mahashe home and tried to open the front door, it was locked.
Dyantyi added: “With some help, I managed to open the door and that was when we found them (the deceased) there.”
A man, who cannot be named because he fears for his life, survived and was recovering in hospital.
Thabisa Mahashe is traumatised and grief-stricken because she lost her mother, sister, daughter and nephew. She was not at home at the time of the incident.
Thabisa said: “My mother (Nomqwazana) told me that my brother had run away from home because he was part of a robbery and afterwards needed to get away because he was being followed.”
She added: “My brother was here, after the shooting and then he ran away again.” The family had scolded her brother and blamed him for the shooting, claiming it was a revenge attack when whoever was looking for him couldn’t find him.
Thabisa said police managed to track her brother and questioned him. She hoped that he would tell the truth to track down the two gunmen who killed her family.
Provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Novela Potelwa said: “Thus far, they have interviewed several individuals as part of the investigation into the four murders and an attempted murder. However, no one has been arrested and charged for the crimes.”
She added: “Since the shooting incident… provincial organised crime detectives have been hard at work in a bid to apprehend the perpetrators.”
By late Saturday evening, the family were making arrangements to bury their loved ones.
Weekend Argus