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Yesterday, police attended three different murder scenes in Harare, Khayelitsha, where eight people were gunned down in less than 12 hours.

The Western Cape township area has been ranked sixth among those with the highest murder cases in the province, while it is the eighth nationally. Already between the period of October to December 2023, 60 people were killed.

The numbers have gone up substantially after stony-hearted criminals took eight more lives in a matter of hours.

IOL reported that four people – cousins Nceba and Collin Nkomana, a woman and an unknown man, were shot and killed in Ncumo Street, while another man, Yibanathi Ncanywa, was shot across the road from them – police reckon these shootings are linked.

Then, another male victim, linked to the same shooting, was killed on another road, while in Feza Street, a man and his girlfriend were murdered at around 2:30AM. Three hours later, the murders in Ncumo Street were committed, possibly by the same suspects.

The motive for the shootings is unknown but police spokesperson Andrè Traut said detectives in the provincial serious and violent crimes unit were pursuing several leads and working around the clock to get to the bottom of the three separate shootings.

Nceba’s relatives described the scene:

“We were woken up by the gunshots, and we were later informed that Nceba and them were killed,” the relative said. “There were a lot of shots and I couldn’t sleep after that. We went to the scene as the family, but were barred from seeing the bodies. They instead described the scene; they said Nceba and his girlfriend were in bed, Collin was sitting on a chair and the other was on the floor.

“We don’t know why they were shot, the cousins were recovering drug addicts.”

The cousin of Ncanywa, the man who was shot in a shack across from where Nceba and Collin died, said he was informed around 6AM that his cousin had been killed.

“His girlfriend said someone went to their place, which is next door to the four people who were killed. They called him to go to them and he never went back home.”

Ward councillor Anele Gabuza said he knows that the five people who were killed were amaphara (known criminals) who would rob people of their phones and money, adding that “We are very shocked by this incident”.

Community activist, Ndithini Thyido, has urged the police to work harder on preventing crime.

“Black and coloured townships are not jungles. What kind of animal would mow down a lot of people regardless of the circumstances?

“We really hope that when so many lives are lost, we stop the political tennis ball, talking about who should have done what.”

It is shocking how disproportionate the crimes are in townships compared to inner-city suburbs, and Bheki Cele and his crew need to have a long hard look at the rampant crime they’re allowing.

Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen said that this is a “horrific incident, and shows the little regard criminals have for life”. When there are such few consequences, there is no fear or care.

[source:iol]