Tragic daylight shooting claims three lives in Nyanga

Nyanga residents are reeling after three people, including a teenager, were gunned down in broad daylight in Lusaka informal settlement.

Witnesses said they lost count of the shots that rang out along New Eisleben Road on Friday afternoon.

The victims lay in different parts of the area, but only metres apart.

Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk said the victims had gunshot wounds.

“Crime scene experts combed the crime scenes where three men were shot and killed in Lusaka, Nyanga, on Friday afternoon. Reports from the scene indicate that Nyanga police responded to information about a shooting on the corner of Klipfontein and Borcheds Quarry roads.

“Upon arrival, the police discovered the bodies of the three deceased persons with gunshot wounds located in three scenes that are metres apart. Two other males were taken to a nearby hospital with gunshot wounds. The identities of the deceased men aged 19, 31, and 44 are yet to be released. Police have registered three counts of murder and two attempted murders.”

Van Wyk said the motive for the shooting was still under investigation by provincial serious and violent crime detectives.

“No arrests have been effected yet,” he added.

Nyanga Community Policing Forum secretary-general Dumisani Qwebe said the community was traumatised.

“We call on the community members to remain calm. It is up to us to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. This street had been quiet. It is high time for everyone to come together. The victims died in a hail of bullets which shook the entire community,” he said.

Qwebe said stakeholders would be approached to stabilise the area.

One of the victims was identified as 31-year-old Gcinikhaya Mjakada, a mechanic who worked in Samora Machel and Nyanga.

“I last saw him on Thursday. As he and another guy were running to the first scene, he came across the suspects; they were shooting at random. I don’t know him to have been involved in any criminal activities,” a relative said.

She added: “I am heartbroken, especially for his 12-year-old daughter. I am going to miss him. Gcinikhaya was a humble guy.”

Meanwhile, Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said the human toll of gang violence in the province was devastating.

“The mothers no longer allow their children to play outside. Entrepreneurs close their businesses early for fear of extortion, and learners cannot consistently attend school. These are the real costs of gang violence,” he told Parliament.

Cachalia acknowledged that police efforts had been inadequate and announced that he would meet the SAPS National Commissioner and the Minister of Justice on September 23 to finalise a more coordinated plan.

“The next step is to consolidate a more comprehensive plan and ensure that together, across departments and tiers of government, we target the gangs and their criminal networks more effectively.”

He also stressed the urgency of removing illegal firearms from the streets.

“Without access to firearms, the gangs will be seriously weakened. We need urgent interventions to remove firearms from gangsters and prevent further proliferation of these deadly weapons,” Cachalia said.