Lives shattered in spate of shootings | SAPS share safety tips
According to SAPS spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, five suspected hitmen were recently arrested moments before they executed a hit.
A SPATE of shootings has shaken Durban, leaving more than 10 people dead just three months into 2023.
Berea Mail has reported on several shooting incidents: On Tuesday, March 21, two men were shot to death in a shooting incident on Carters Avenue in Berea. Just a few hours later, three people were killed in a shooting incident in Springfield Park.
A few days earlier, on Saturday, March 18, a man survived multiple gunshot wounds after a shooting incident on Umgeni Road in the Stamford Hill area.
Earlier in the month, on March 6, a man was found dead and another man was allegedly rushed to a hospital after the pair sustained gunshot wounds on King DiniZulu Road. Another shooting incident made headlines when South African rapper Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes and another man were shot and killed on Florida Road in Morningside on February 10. Yet the spate of shootings did not start here.
On January 5, a man was injured in a drive-by shooting on Problem Mkhize Road, and two people were killed in another shooting in the Durban CBD on January 10.
Even before the year began, a man was shot and killed in a Sherwood drive-by shooting in December 2022.
Commenting on the continual shootings, SAPS spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said illicit drug use is among the areas police are investigating.
“Police have plans in place that seek to proactively arrest the perpetrators of the scourge of killings that have plagued the province. We have a dedicated team that looks into matters within the taxi industry as well as a team focusing on illicit drug dealing. Murder cases, which are taxi-violence related, are investigated by the dedicated Taxi Violence Unit. Other priority cases are investigated by the Provincial Organised Crime Unit,” said Netshiunda.
He added that five suspected hitmen were arrested recently, moments before they executed a hit.
“It is one of the many successes that the police attain daily. A total of 89 firearms, 10 of them rifles, were recovered in a space of a week, and those firearms could have been used to commit murders,” he said.
Report crime
Netshiunda called on anyone with information that could assist the police in their investigation to contact local police or Crime Stop on 08600 10111. Anonymous tip-offs can also be communicated via the MySAPS App.
Safety tips to practise during a shooting incident
Berea Mail reached out to Captain Carmen Rhynes of the Ethekwini District Communication to ask if SAPS could share any safety tips to assist the community.
Rhynes shared the following:
1. Stay alert – always be aware of your environment and any possible dangers.
2. If you see something, inform the local authorities: “That is, people or drivers of vehicles behaving strangely, for example, if you keep noticing a vehicle driving past slowly, as though the occupants are looking for someone,” said Rhynes. Phone SAPS Emergency Services on 10111.
3. Observe warning signs: “Signs may include unusual or violent communication, substance abuse, expressed anger or intent to cause harm. Remove yourself from possible violent behaviour that can break out due to arguments,” cautioned Rhynes.
4. Run from danger: “If there is a shoot-out, the first thing you should do is run away from the danger and seek safety – leave your belongings behind – getting away from the danger is priority number one,” said Rhynes.
5. Stay low and hide: “Try to find a place away from the attacker or attackers – find a solid barrier between you and the attackers, such as a wall, tree, or another vehicle,” said Rhynes. “Remember to keep low and fall to the ground with arms at your sides, protecting vital organs from stray bullets,” she concluded.
6. Remain calm and follow instructions – it is natural to panic in an emergency. Panic causes people to react emotionally, but you need to be more thoughtful and instead try to focus on your breathing.
7. Keep hands visible and empty, so that in an intense situation, you don’t look dangerous or can be mistaken as a perpetrator when law enforcement arrives.
8. Report to a designated area to provide information and get help – phone 10111 and ambulance services at 10177 if anyone is injured.
9. If you have first aid training, assist those who are hurt around you as much as you can.
10. Follow law enforcement instructions and provide information about the situation. Try to remember vehicle types/colours, the number of suspects / number of firearms / registrations.
11. Ensure you seek professional help for any trauma you may have encountered.
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