Read more
This is the third mass murder in Cape Town this week.
Picture: iStock
Seven people were killed in a mass shooting on Saturday morning at a house in Gugulethu, Cape Town.
Police said they were alerted to the shooting in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Shooting
Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said the motive for the shooting is being investigated.
“At approximately 3.30am, Saps members on patrol were alerted to the shooting. Upon arrival at the scene, officers discovered the bodies of seven men, all with gunshot wounds.
“Preliminary information suggests that the victims were socialising in the kitchen when they were ambushed by unknown assailants. Three other men who were asleep elsewhere in the house at the time of the attack escaped unharmed,” Traut said.
ALSO READ: Three killed in vigilante-style murder in Samora Machel
Violent crime
Traut said the identities of the deceased are being withheld at this stage.Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile met with detectives from the Serious and Violent Crimes Unit on the scene this morning. He instructed them to explore every possible lead to uncover the truth behind the killings and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
“Violent and firearm-related crimes remain a top priority for the Western Cape SAPS and no resource will be spared in the pursuit of justice,” said Patekile.
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is urged to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or to report anonymously via the MySAPS mobile application.
ALSO READ: Police offer reward for information on Limpopo priest’s killer
Mass shootings
This is the third mass shooting in Cape Town this week.
Three people were killed in a vigilante-style attack at the Samora Machel informal settlement on Wednesday.
It is understood that the bodies of three men, aged between 26 and 35, were discovered around 8am in different locations within close proximity of each other.
On Thursday, a shooting incident in Nyanga during an apparent hijacking led to the deaths of three suspected hijackers.
Outrage
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has expressed deep concern and outrage following the series of mass killings.
“There is no doubt that the Cape Flats in Cape Town have indeed become the killing fields of the Western Cape, with the latest shooting of seven people in Gugulethu. What the police ministry and police top management must refuse to do is to treat this as a normal trend and keep the normal methods of policing in place.
“The situation requires full implementation of what the ministry and management have discussed and concluded over a considerable period of time now. This turn of events is ugly and poses fundamental questions about the safety of people in that area,” Mchunu said.
Murderers
Mchunu said it is “crystal clear that murderers are out there to kill”.
“It is as if we have to choose between the people and the murderers — we actually do not have a choice. Police have a mandate to protect the lives and limbs of the people, with no resources spared. The situation demands a targeted approach before these murderers intensify their terror on people.”
“It was for this purpose that Operation Shanela was launched on Friday, Mchunu said, adding that the operation is designed to take decisive action against high murder rates, the proliferation of illegal firearms, drug trafficking and gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).
Mchunu called on all levels of police management to act decisively and urgently, stressing that communities cannot be abandoned to live in “fear and under siege”.
ALSO READ: Six extortion suspects killed in shootout with police in Mthatha
