A Hanover Park mom has been hospitalised after she was wounded during a gang shooting on Tuesday, the same day a new police anti-gang unit hit the streets.
Residents say they enjoyed only a few hours of peace on Tuesday before gunshots rang out in Soetwater Court on Tuesday night, and a 25-year-old mother was shot in the stomach.
The family of Nazlie Sellas, 25, say they are unable to visit her in hospital as they do not have money for taxi fare.
According to a source, a member of the Ghetto Kidz gang walked over to a hokkie behind Soetwater Court and opened fire on a member of the Vulture Kidz gang but missed and hit Nazlie instead.
Aunt Ayesha Davids, 55, says shortly after 7pm, the family was watching TV when Nazlie ran into the council flat screaming.
“We didn’t even hear the skote because we were watching Scandal!. She came in here and was shouting that she was shot in the stomach,” says Ayesha.
“We all got a moerse skrik and the neighbours in the court came to help. They took her to Heideveld Day Hospital and told us that they are taking her to Groote Schuur.”
Police spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel André Traut, confirms the shooting and says no arrests have been made but circumstances around the shooting are being investigated.
Nazlie Sellas, 25, was wounded in Soetwater Court
When Daily Voice visited Soetwater Court on Wednesday, the hokkie where the skollie lives was empty and residents say the man fled after the shooting.
Ayesha says they have not heard from detectives yet and are worried sick about Nazlie.
“We don’t have money to get to the hospital so we don’t even know how she is. We didn’t see any blood and she said it was burning but we are hoping for the best,” she says.
A resident, who asked not to be named, says while Police Minister Bheki Cele’s new squad patrolled Hanover Park during the day, they were sent to cover shootings in Lavender Hill that evening.
“It was nice and quiet while they were here. They didn’t come back from Lavender Hill and then someone got shot again in Hanover Park.”
On Monday Cele promised residents that the new unit would tackle skollies and merts in Hanover Park after the death of Gift of the Givers volunteer Ameerodien Noordien, 19, last Friday.
He also “guaranteed” on Monday that Ameerodien’s killer would be arrested “within 48 hours” but by yesterday no arrests had been made.