GQEBERHA | NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE YET IN BOTH KWAZAKHELE AND NEW BRIGHTON MASS SHOOTINGS

It has been three days since the brutal murder of four people in Kwazakhele, Gqeberha, and still no lead. 

No arrests have been made following the massacre of 8 people in the same area two weeks ago.

In November last year, six people were shot dead in New Brighton.

In the latest shooting, the victims were gunned down while attending a gathering of friends in the home of one of the deceased.

Residents want to know who or what is behind the killing sprees. Conspiracy theories are aired everywhere as people talk. But the motive behind all the murders remains unclear.

“The truth is people are scared; they walk around fearing for their lives. The mood is a lot sombre. You can tell walking in the streets that people are wondering what is next and because we do not know the reason behind these murders, people do not know if they are safe,” says Kwazakhele councillor Gamelihle Maqula.

Last month, Police Minister Bheki Cele paid his respects to families of the January 29th shooting. Residents are calling for his return with answers and interventions.

“We want to re-emphasize that the minister must come here and must not talk this time but try and put some serious measures, one of them is that of TRT police. They must come here and be visible in our streets. They must walk with us within our community. So that we recover all these unlicensed firearms because seemingly everyone has a gun,” Maqula added.

The people from the area are not coming forth with information because they don’t want to become targets.

“The issue of community members becoming scared to come out and share with the police because these people committing crime are members of the community. So, for sure some members know these types of people, but fear becomes another serious issue cause in South Africa, we had an issue last year, where people once they start to come out, there’s no protection for them. So, the system that we have doesn’t protect them, so it makes the community to be reluctant to get involved and assist communities,” says Criminologist Dr Oscar Magadze.

And the status quo is ringing the alarm bells.

“We are under siege; these types of shootings are increasing day and night. Access to guns is rife so much so that this is no longer a safe country. If the situation remains unchanged for the next two or three years people will start normalizing these killings and crime will climb and it will be impossible to manage it,” Magadze explains.

Police urge the public to come forward if they have any information that can crack these cases.

SABC