(Graphics: Maroela Media)
A member of the South African National Defense Force has died and a five-year-old girl is fighting for her life in hospital after a series of violent shooting incidents that rocked the Cape Flats in the past week.
Seven men were arrested in connection with separate incidents and are expected to appear in various courts on Monday on charges of murder and attempted murder.
A five-year-old girl from Valhalla Park in Bishop Lavis was seriously wounded in a shooting on Thursday around 09:45. The shooting reportedly broke out when two rival gangs clashed. A group allegedly chased a gang member and shot at him, after which the child – who was playing in the street – was hit by a bullet.
Brig. Novela Potelwa, spokesperson for the police, says the police’s anti-gang unit worked tirelessly to catch the culprits.
“The unit arrested two men, respectively 34 and 38 years old, on charges of attempted murder. More than 30 spent cartridge cases were found at the scene,” she says.
In a separate incident, a 37-year-old member of the army was killed on Wednesday in Delft while he was not on duty. Detectives from the serious violent crime unit, with the support of a drone unit and crime scene investigators, later arrested five suspects in Delft South. The victim’s firearm, bank card and mobile phone were recovered during the operation.
According to Potelwa, three of the suspects are directly linked to the murder.
“Three suspects have already been charged with murder and will appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Monday. The motive for the murder is suspected to be robbery,” she says.
A 31-year-old man was also arrested on Sunday in connection with a double murder and five attempted murders that took place on Tuesday afternoon in Portland, Mitchells Plain. He is the second suspect to be arrested in this case after a first suspect already appeared in court last week.
“The shooting incidents are suspected to be related to gang violence and the associated crime patterns. The police in the Western Cape remain committed to investigating all reported cases and bringing the perpetrators to justice,” says Potelwa.