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Eight people were found dead in three incidents in the Cape Town township of Khayelitsha on 17 April 2024. Police believe the shootings are related, and residents of Harare say they have long suffered under the tyranny of a notorious group of suspected criminals. Police spokesperson Colonel André Traut said preliminary investigations into the multiple murders led detectives to believe that two of the shooting incidents that preceded the one in Ncumu Street could be linked.
The killings happened days after Police Minister Bheki Cele visited Hanover Park in Cape Town to host a crime prevention imbizo on Sunday. The meeting focused on addressing serious and violent crimes affecting the community and exploring ways for the residents to work more closely with law enforcement to improve the police's response time.
As dawn broke over the township on Wednesday, residents felt a sense of relief. A man named Zuko said for the first time in years, he would be able to walk the streets without fear, knowing that the people who were terrorising them were dead. He said that one of them was shot in the hip a few weeks back and has been in and out of jail, but that did not stop him from doing criminal activities.
Families mourn the loss of Yibanathi Ncwanya (30) and Collen (38) in the shooting. Phumla Nkomane lost her two sons Nceba (41) and Collen (38) in the shooting. She said she heard from her sister about the incident. Nolubabalo, the mother of Yibanathi Ncanywa, said she did not know her son was a criminal but that he was smoking [drugs] but always denied it.
Reagen Allen, the Western Cape MEC of police oversight and community safety, said the multiple murders were horrific and showed the little regard criminals had for life. He urged those with information to make it available to law enforcement agencies so that the perpetrators can be arrested and convicted. Traut said the motive for the attack was not yet known and appealed to the public for help.
Police will make more information available as the investigation unfolds.
