Eight shot in a violent 24 hours in Khayelitsha's Site C

Eight people have been shot in Site C, Khayelitsha, within 24 hours, with two receiving medical treatment, police have said.

Four people travelling in a seven-seater vehicle on Japhta K. Masemola Road were shot and killed after a confrontation with the provincial combat team on Wednesday, according to police.

Police said they had received information that the vehicle was allegedly involved in extortion activities.

According to reports, officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the occupants opened fire. Police spokesperson, Brigadier Novela Potelwa, said officers followed the vehicle and attempted to pull it over. The occupants of the vehicle then pulled out firearms and pointed them at the police.

"The team responded, and consequently, four yet-to-be-identified males were fatally wounded.”

She said three firearms were confiscated at the scene. In a separate incident, Khayelitsha police have registered two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder following a shooting in Site C on Tuesday, March 24. The incident occurred at approximately 9.40pm in the Taiwan informal settlement.

Provincial police spokesperson, Sergeant Wesley Twigg, said officers responded to reports of a shooting. He said that upon arrival, police had found four men who had sustained gunshot wounds.

Two men, aged 20 and 23, were declared dead at the scene by medical personnel, while the other two, aged 20 and 22, were transported to a medical facility for treatment.

He said the case is under investigation.

“No arrests have been made, and the motive for the attack forms part of the ongoing police investigation,” he said. Khayelitsha Community Policing Forum spokesperson Malungisa Mzolisi welcomed the police response.

“We applaud the efforts of the police in dealing decisively with extortionists. We are also relieved that no officers were killed or injured during the incident,” he said.

He added that extortion and protection fee-related crimes remain major contributors to high crime levels in the area.

“What concerns us is that these criminals have access to firearms. The big question is: 'how are they getting these guns?'" he said.

Mzolisi also noted that three of the suspects killed in the vehicle have not yet been identified, while one has been identified as being from Delft.

“This situation has escalated significantly. SAPS, with its intelligence-driven approach, must continue to strengthen its efforts,” he said.

A community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said he believed the incident could be linked to extortion.

“We cannot rule out extortion in this incident. Judging by the way they were killed, they appear to have been targeted. Extortion is a major problem in our communities, and people are afraid to speak out,” he said.

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