Cops have confirmed that one of four people who were shot and killed in Nyanga were related to an ‘annihilated’ family in the Eastern Cape.
Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile confirmed this on Monday while visiting the crime scene of another mass killing, where three children were murdered on Saturday afternoon in Site C, Khayelitsha.
Spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut says the Provincial Serious and Violent Crime detectives are investigating the Nyanga shooting, where two men aged 32 and 38 and two women aged 22 and 25 were killed on Sunday afternoon just before 2pm.
“According to reports unknown suspects opened fire at the victims at the Nyanga Hostels in Bush Street and fled the scene. The motive for the murders is yet to be determined.”
The shooting comes a week after a family of six was wiped out in Mpoza Village, Tsolo in the Eastern Cape.
Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nomthetheleli Mene said five relatives died were killed last Tuesday while another one was killed the previous night.
“It is alleged that on 3 June, a 43-year-old male was shot and killed outside his grandfather’s homestead. It is also alleged that on 4 June at about 7pm, neighbours heard gunshots at a rondavel in Mpoza location in Tsolo.
“On investigating, the bodies of a 73 and 75-year-old male were found with bullet wounds. Also, at the same time, three more people, aged 62-67 years old (male and two females) were shot and killed in a nearby homestead in the same location. It is alleged that they were related to the other three victims.”
All the victims were shot in the head.
Patekile said on Monday: “We have reasons to believe that one of the victims shot in Nyanga is related to the Tsolo family. We established yesterday morning that one of the deceased belongs to that family.”
When Patekile arrived at the Khayelitsha barbershop where three children were killed, he was welcomed by community members who held a prayer service for the victims.
“It is with a heavy heart that we are visiting the crime scene and amongst them are the three kids who were killed. We know that two children and a hawker died at the scene and another child died at the hospital. Seven more people were injured and two were unharmed and we are therefore investigating 9 attempted murder cases.”
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis extended the City’s condolences to the families of the deceased and urged SAPS to spare no resources in making arrests.
“We have seen in the past that this type of crime is sometimes linked to local extortion syndicates. Anyone with information may contact the City’s anti-extortion hotline on 0800 00 6992.”