Cape Town - The Khayelitsha Community Policing Forum (CPF) has welcomed the arrest of two suspects linked to the shocking murder of three children and an adult at a barber shop.
The gunmen, travelling in a Toyota Quantum, entered the barber shop in Iqwara Street, Site C, on Saturday, looking for a person, before they sprayed the scene with bullets, instantly killing two children, aged 11 and 12, and an adult aged 30.
Four-year-old Enzokuhle Dladlu, who was playing with her friends near the scene, succumbed to the gunshot wounds while being transported to hospital. Seven more people were wounded in the shooting.
The suspects, arrested on Tuesday, are expected to appear in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.
Khayelitsha CPF chairperson Monde Bambelo welcomed the arrests.
“We are happy about the arrest, but we have mixed emotions about it, because we are not certain if all the suspects have been arrested. There are few people whom we don’t know are part of the arrest,” he said.
Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said as part of investigations into the murder, as well as nine separate attempted murders in Khayelitsha on Saturday, provincial Serious Violent Crime detectives charged two suspects.
“The suspects, aged 24 and 28, are facing murder and attempted murder charges and will appear in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
“With the investigation unfolding, the possibility of more arrests and further charges being pursued cannot be ruled out.”
Potelwa added that investigations into another murder in Nyanga on Sunday were continuing, and no arrests had been made yet.
In Nyanga, four people were shot and killed. One victim was related to six family members who were killed in the Eastern Cape last week.
Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen said the arrests were a significant breakthrough.
“Those with any further information are encouraged to make it available to all law enforcement agencies, so that when this matter appears in court prosecutors will have a watertight case. We need to ensure that these suspects are convicted.
“As the Western Cape government, we will continue to support SAPS efforts with the deployment of our LEAP officers in areas where the murder rate is highest,” said Allen.
Meanwhile, police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said six men and three women were arrested for the possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition in Khayelitsha this week.
“The members followed up on information about murder suspects in the Khayelitsha and Mandalay areas, which led them to premises in Cherry Close, Thembani, Khayelitsha, on Tuesday,” he said.
During a search of the premises, police confiscated a semi-automatic rifle, a 9mm pistol with ammunition and cellphones which they found in the house, Twigg said.
Anyone with information can anonymously contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or SMS Crime Line on 32211.
Cape Argus