Police ramp up presence after deadly shooting in Philippi East
In the wake of a tragic mass shooting that claimed the lives of three men in Philippi East, police have ramped up their operations to restore safety and prevent further violence in the community.
Image: File Picture: Henk Kruger
Police deployments have been intensified in Philippi East after another mass shooting on Tuesday evening, where three people were shot and killed.
Police spokesperson Andrè Traut confirmed that three men were shot and killed in a “cold-blooded manner”.
“The South African Police Service in the Western Cape strongly condemns the brutal killing of three men in Philippi East last night and has launched an intensive investigation into the incident.
“At approximately 7.10pm on Tuesday, November 4, police were called to a crime scene in Sheffield Road, Marikana informal settlement, where the bodies of three men aged 27, 30, and 38 were discovered with gunshot wounds. Preliminary reports suggest that the victims were executed in a cold-blooded manner,” said Traut.
Traut added that detectives attached to the Serious and Violent Crime Unit have been assigned to the case and are pursuing all possible leads to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“In response to the incident, Operation Shanela II deployments have been intensified in the area to stabilise the situation and prevent further acts of violence,” said Traut.
Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Anroux Marais condemned the murders, describing the incident as a 'coordinated, violent assault'.
Marais demanded that the SAPS commit maximum resources to ensuring swift arrests and convictions and stressed that law enforcement must intensify and sustain efforts to seize illegal firearms.
“Every gun confiscated is one less weapon in the hands of criminals. We cannot allow criminal elements to hold our communities hostage. The police cannot do this alone,” said Marais.
Meanwhile, two minors - both juveniles aged 16 and 17 and who cannot be named - will return to the Athlone Magistrate's Court today for their bail applications for their alleged involvement in a mass murder in which seven people were shot, killed, and set alight also in Philippi East.
Sinothando Songca, 18, Kuhle Webu, 22, and Asavela Tshaya, 21, together with their juvenile co-accused, each face nine criminal charges.
Last week, Songca, Webu, and Tshaya abandoned their Schedule 6 bail applications.
The incident occurred on October 18 in Road 53, Better Life, as mass killings in the Philippi East area continue unabated.
Police appealed to anyone with information on Tuesday's incident to contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or use the MySAPS mobile application.
Cape Times