A mass shooting at a Rocklands Tavern on Sunday night, along with three more murders over the past weekend, has left the community in shock.
Suspected gang-violence
Provincial police confirm that detectives attached to the Provincial Serious and Violent Crimes Unit are probing the circumstances around the mass shooting that left three men dead and six others injured.
Police say it is believed to be an alleged gang-related incident in the area.
“At around 19:30, two unknown assailants opened fire at a group of men aged between 29 and 46 at a tavern in Stratus Street in Rocklands, killing three of the men on the scene.
“The injured victims were admitted to hospital while the suspects fled, which initiated a large-scale manhunt in the vicinity and adjacent neighbourhoods,” says provincial police spokesperson, Col Andrè Traut.
Community concerned
Mitchells Plain Community Policing Forum (CPF) chair, Norman Jantjes, says the CPF is concerned about the upsurge in mass shootings and gang violence in the precinct.
“Over the past weekend, Saturday and Sunday we have had all together six murders in Mitchell’s Plain of which five took place in Rocklands and another in Tafelsig,” he says.
“We are very concerned because it affects innocent people; there have been no arrests in these incidents. Again, we are urging the community to share information with police and we ask police to fast track the investigation into these matters.”
Jantjes continues that most of these shootings are taking place with the use of vehicles and called on residents to also supply this information to police. He further called on authorities to install the proposed CCTV cameras as a matter of urgency to assist in the investigation of these matters.
Call for action
Reagen Allen, provincial minister for police oversight and community safety, says local government wants to ensure communities are able to live without fear and in dignity.
He called on police to bolster visibility to help bring gang tensions to an end.
“A clearer picture for greater visibility and aggressive activations from police cannot be painted. This and other violent incidents that we are experiencing is not happening haphazardly. Police should ensure that their intelligence works optimally and that everything is done to prevent cases such as these,” says Allen.
This follows several other mass murders in townships across the city.
Police have since deployed additional operational forces in the area to curb retaliation shootings or any other form of violence, says Traut, “as gangsterism holding communities at ransom will not be allowed”.
Allen says the provincial government will continue to deploy Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers to assist police in their crime-fighting mandate. “Residents are also reminded that they can earn up to R5 000 when they report the whereabouts of illegal firearms. All they have to do is to dial 021 466 0011. Upon the successful confiscation and confirmation that it is indeed an illegal firearm, there will be a reward of R1 500. Should an arrest also occur, another R1 500 will be paid. Should this be followed by a conviction, the balance of R2 000 will be paid,” he says.
Police are calling on assistance in the mass shooting.
Any person who can assist police with information is kindly requested to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or by using the mobile application, MySAPS anonymously.
