Witnesses urged to step forward in Mitchells Plain murder case
Zechariah Matthee was killed while hiding in a cupboard during a gang hit.
Image: Supplied
Six weeks after the murder of nine-year-old Zechariah Matthee and his aunt, Cleo Bailey and Mousheen Daniels, the Community Policing Forum (CPF) is calling on witnesses to come forward and assist with the case.
Zechariah, a learner at Caradale Primary School, was shot dead by gang members while hiding inside a cupboard in his home in Viscount Street, Rocklands, Mitchells Plain on December 2. Bailey and Daniels, who were also on the property at the time, were killed as well.
Zechariah was to begin his journey in Grade four as the new school year begins but sadly his young life was snuffed out.
The gunmen fled the scene and are believed to be linked to a rival gang operating in the community.
Earlier, police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk confirmed detectives were following up all leads in order to make a breakthrough in the case.
On Monday, Cape Argus reached out to SAPS to ascertain if there were new information in the case, to which Sergeant Wesley Twigg said: "No new developments in the matter you are referring to and no arrests have been made yet".
"Anyone with any information who can assist with the investigation is requested to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111."
Linda Jones, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Mitchells Plain CPF, called on witnesses to come forward, citing that speaking out would help reduce crime. “As the CPF, we encourage our people to speak out against these senseless killings,” she said.
“It does not help to complain that crime is high, but we as the community do not want to get involved. We are the first on the crime scenes. We talk amongst each other, but we do not share with the right entities, and that is law enforcement agencies. Be it Saps, Metro Police, the Hawks, or anyone, send your info to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), but get these perpetrators to face the law.
"Now they are free to kill again very sadly, which is tragic. We cannot continue like this, that this is our norm because it should not be. We know who they are; it is our sons; they grew up together, but now they are enemies, gangsters.”
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