Nine-year-old Zechariah Matthee killed while hiding in a cupboard during gang hit

Nine-year-old Zechariah Matthee's heart was exploding with excitement for the December school holidays, but his life came to an abrupt end on Tuesday night when masked gunmen shot him while he tried to hide inside a cupboard in his Rocklands home.

Zechariah was killed among two other persons including his aunt, Cleo Bailey, 19, and a male, Mougsheen Daniels, 26 in what is believed to be a targeted gang hit, with innocent bystanders and 60 bullet casings removed from the scene.

Zechariah was a learner at Caradale Primary School in Rocklands with the Western Cape Education Department providing counselling to staff and learners affected.

Angered residents including the Community Policing Forum (CPF), Civic Organisations and ratepayers have called for the house at 10 Viscount Street, Rocklands, Mitchells Plain to be condemned under the City's Problem Building Unit (PBU), citing the house is a known "Pela pos" (gang and drug hangout) where several shootings have taken place.

The house is believed to be the stronghold of the Fancy Boys gang having previously been run by the Hard Livings gang in the past with rivals the Americans on their doorstep.

It is further alleged that slain former American's gang leader, Kadimola "Dimes" Madatt's close relative, lives right next door to the property, and is believed to be part of apparent illicit trade.

In August, two men aged 37 and 40, were shot and killed at the same residence in Viscount Street during a gang-related incident.

On Wednesday, Wayne Dyason, spokesperson for the City's Law Enforcement confirmed the premises was not listed under the PBU which has 922 buildings in their bundle, 35% of which are active investigations.

In June the City confirmed it had 11 new cases, 72 were recommended to be closed and 517 closed.

"This property is not listed with the City's Problem Building Unit. It is private property," he said.

It is understood the house belonged to an elderly woman who has since died with her children and grandchildren living there.

During an interview with the Cape Argus' sister newspaper, the Daily Voice, a relative of Zechariah and Cleo Bailey, said her grandson and daughter described in horror what took place: "I ran back home and I heard people telling me that Zechariah was shot. I am Zechariah 's grandmother from his father's side. But his father passed away so I have been taking care of him. I immediately ran into the room, and they shot Zechariah . He was shot in the face and in the head. "I heard Mougsheen's girlfriend shouting and when I got to the wendy house, I saw Mougsheen sitting, he was already shot in the head. My daughter, Cleo, was lying by her bed, also shot in the head. My brother was sitting on the bed and he was also shot in the arm, his arm is broken in two. They say that the gunmen were a group with masks, a few went to shoot in the house and another few went to shoot in the wendy house."

Mitchells Plain Community Policing Forum chairperson, Norman Jantjies told the Cape Argus that the little boy had been hiding when he was shot and heard the pleas for the house to be condemned: "We can confirm that the house is a problem house known as a pela pos. It was a scene of previous shootings and murders. We are saying that the incident is gang related, one of the persons who were shot, the community confirms he is a member of a gang.

"That area has been taken over by the Fancy boys and it was a definite hit, we do not know who the target was.

"It is so unfortunate that this innocent boy was trying to hide inside a cupboard. Sixty bullet casings was removed from the scene."

A resident who asked not to be named called for the house to be petrol bombed and destroyed, asking: "How many more must die?"

Jantjies also pleaded with rival gangs to create a ceasefire as the school holidays begin.

Ward councillor, Danny Christians said he would see to it that a report follows for the house to be listed as a PBU.

"This is a problem building and it needs to be recorded as such," he said."I have been to the premises several times and once the city finishes the report then we can take it forward, that it is a problem building and that it must be shut down and with evidence provided."

Linda Jones of the CPF and Mitchells Plain United Residents Association (MURA) said: "What we are saying is that government needs to step up and enforce the laws such as the POCA (Prevention of Organised Crime Act), because they are not doing it. The grandmother has indicated that she wants to sell the house following the deaths and her mother's passing. She does not want to be in that house anymore."

Lynn Philipps, of the Cape Flats Safety Forum also called for the house to be condemned: “We are of the view that this house on numerous occasions has been the target for murders and it needs to be closed as we are concerned that it’s become a graveyard.”

Police Oversight and Community Safety Mec Anroux Marais said:the police is mandated to secure the safety of such child, which includes removing them from dangerous situations and contacting the Department of Social Development to ensure their wellbeing.

Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut confirmed an intensive manhunt was launched with the Anti-Gang Unit being assigned.

Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel.

Cape Argus