Heinz Park has been labelled a war zone with gang shootings flaring up over the weekend, resulting in three people being shot on Saturday.
Two were killed and another one wounded and rushed to hospital.
The incident took place in Dahlia Street and police spokesperson, Captain FC Van Wyk, says that the circumstances surrounding the shooting are under investigation.
“On Saturday at 12.15pm, SAPS members attended to a shooting complaint at Dahlia Street, Heinz Park where they found an ambulance and the victims. The unknown victims had single gunshot wounds to the head and face respectively,” says Van Wyk.
“Two counts of murder were opened for investigation. Circumstances surrounding this shooting incident are under investigation, no arrest as yet.”
A Heinz Park community leader who asked not to be named for safety reasons says it is believed all three victims are gang members. He says the Fancy Boys and The Only Family gangs are fighting for drug turf.
“It is a critical situation currently taking place in Heinz Park. It has been quiet for a while since the last killings about three months back where six people were killed and the shootings lasted for a couple of months, but now it is a big concern because we fear that the same situation might happen again where gang violence is again out of control in Heinz Park,” says the community leader.
“We have seen that the Fancy Boys are very aggressive not just in Heinz Park but in our coloured communities where they want to take on turf by force.
“It is really frightening for our residents in the area.
“Politicians are campaigning all over wanting our people’s vote and they make lots of promises but the killings are happening now. It has been proven numerous times that the local police station doesn't have the capacity to deal with these gang violence,” he adds.
Reports have been circulating over the weekend on community crime groups about ongoing shootings taking place in Merigold Crescent, Daffodil Street and Rose Street and close to Heinz Park Primary School.
Bongani Maqungwana, spokesperson for the Samora Machel Community Police Forum, says patrols have been increased.
“It is gangsters that are fighting against each other. It has been going on over the past few weeks. It is putting the community very much at risk and everybody is worried.”
“Some special units have been deployed in the area such as the Anti-Gang Unit, tactical response team and neighbourhood watch members are patrolling the area.”
marsha.dean@inl.co.za