Parents from Lower Crossroads in Philippi East say they are fearing for their children’s lives after a video emerged in which an armed man threatens to shoot teenagers if they are not home by sunset.
In the clip, which is making the rounds on social media, the man warns that boys over the age of 13 should be at home by 6pm every night or face being shot by him.
It is believed that he is one of twin brothers who have been terrorising people in the area for some time.
The video is recorded inside a living room and the man is sitting in a chair, his face covered with a skeleton emoji.
He is dressed in a green jersey, white T-shirt and dark pants.
Speaking in isiXhosa, he warns: “Listen here, this is a message I pass to every resident from Lower Crossroads. Hold on to your sons, if you have a boy aged 13 and above, keep him at home from 6pm. I will shoot at your son, I will shoot him in the face so that you will not be able to recognise him.”
It is not clear why he has made the video or if it is aimed at anyone specifically.
In a second video that emerged on Sunday, a man wearing the same clothes and holding a gun, which he unloads and reloads, is heard asking his friend to bring a car so they can go “hustle”.
A fearful mother says they know who he is: “His mother and brother were shot last week. He is dangerous, they are known as the twins and they are known for shooting people. What he is saying on the video cannot be taken lightly.”
Ward councillor Mboniswa Ncitha says the video is a serious concern: “Anything that threatens lives is worrying.
“What is unfortunate is that the man’s face is covered thus making it difficult to identify him. I am hoping that the police are on top of this.”
Mboniswa says shootings are a daily occurrence in Lower Crossroads due to gang and crime in general.
He says boys and girls as young as 13 are part of the gangs: “Young girls work as watchmen, watching out for police officers while gangs do their crime. Police make arrests but new gangs replace the arrested ones.”
Police did not respond to queries by last night.
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