By Staff Reporter
Residents of Khayelitsha in Cape Town say they want the government to send soldiers to the township after eight people were murdered on Wednesday morning.
Scrolla.Africa spoke to several residents who said they needed the presence of soldiers in the township to stop the spate of murders.
One resident, speaking anonymously, said she remained indoors as often as possible because she feared getting hit by a stray bullet.
“We are trapped in our homes because of the shootings that are happening in our township – it is not only this section but other sections,” she said.
The woman was fast asleep when she heard gunshots.
“At first, I thought I was dreaming, but after the gunshots went off, I didn’t even bother going outside to look because it was dangerous. I went back to bed and only went out to see what was happening in the morning.”
Another resident said: “During Covid-19, we had soldiers in our areas – why is it so difficult now to take the same decision to bring them? We need them or else we’ll continue experiencing mass shootings like this one, and the truth is that criminals don’t fear the SAPS.”
The resident said some people think the murders are connected with gangsters demanding protection fees. “This is a serious issue that is causing a lot of problems in Cape Town.”
Western Cape police spokesperson Colonel Andre Traut said the circumstances that led to the death of five people in the Harare section of Khayelitsha this morning are being probed by detectives from the serious and violent crimes unit.
“At about 6am police were summoned to a shooting incident where the bodies of four males and one female were discovered with gunshot wounds,” said Traut.
He added that early investigations into the multiple murders in Harare led detectives to believe that the two shooting incidents could be linked.
“At around 3am, an adult male and his adult girlfriend were shot and killed In Feza Street, Harare, and shortly after that, a 35-year-old male was shot and killed not far from the first scene.
“Three hours later, the murders [of five people] in Ncumu Street were committed, possibly by the same suspects,” Traut added.
Pictured above: Eight people have been murdered in the Harare section of Khayelitsha in Cape Town.
Image source: Supplied.
