The attack on three suspected Americans gangsters outside a Wynberg mosque on Friday afternoon was sparked by a turf war currently being waged by the Fancy Boys gang.
A 29-year-old man was shot dead and two others injured in the attack outside the Park Road masjid just after jumu’ah prayers.
One of the injured men is alleged Americans gang leader Mohammad Gummie Solomons, 43, from Heideveld.
His nephew Adenaan Cloete, 29, who was behind the wheel of the silver VW Golf, was shot twice in the hip and the spine and died at the scene while a passenger, Reza Clayton, 41, was also wounded.
According to a source, Solomons was hit in the buttocks, and about 21 bullet doppies were found at the scene.
The two shooters attacked as he was getting into the car before fleeing the scene.
An eyewitness claims Solomons was the target.
“I was coming out of the mosque when it happened.
“I know all about Gummie because he regularly comes to the mosque and basically organises things for the Americans,” the source told Daily Voice.
“I am not aware if he is a leader but he is well affiliated and quite high up.
“The others are also high-ranking guys but I think Gummie was the target because most of the shots were in his direction and it looks like the other two guys were shot first so that they could not protect him.
“He was also quite close with his nephew that was killed and they often come together to the mosque."
SAPS’ FC van Wyk says they are still searching for the shooters, while the motive behind the shooting is being investigated.
According to a well-placed source, Solomons is the latest victim in a “clean-up” by the Fancy Boys gang.
“The Fancy Boys are taking over turf across Cape Town and they are going after all the Americans turf.”
The source said Solomons attended the Park Road mosque every Friday for jumu’ah prayers and kept a low profile in Heideveld.
“He was not a troublemaker, hy was rustig.”
Last week Manenberg SAPS’ Sanele Zama, said the violence in Heideveld was sparked by three local gangs turning their guns on the Fancy Boys.
“The Americans are pushing back and fighting the Fancy Boys and now there are lots of retaliation shootings,” he said.
“The Fancy Boys have also started to move towards the smaller turfs run by the West Siders and Junior Mafias and even they are hitting back.”
A member of the Heideveld CPF, who did not want to be named for fear of victimisation, says it appears rivals want to send a message to the Americans:
“We believe that he was followed to the mosque by one of the rival gangsters as they are engaged in a turf war.
“He is an active gang member so his shooting can be seen as a message to the actual leaders that anybody can be targeted at any time, even while attending mosque or church.”
He said the community will have a meeting tonight to discuss the gang violence.
“...On Monday night, Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith will visit the area to have another meeting because we cannot live like this anymore.”
junior.bester@inl.co.za