A car guard was killed in Bo-Kaap following an altercation between him and private security officers.
Shots were fired as the victim, Waleed Abrahams, 48, apparently ran from private security officers on Friday evening around 7pm.
Another resident was wounded while inside her home, when one of the bullets went through the window and struck her in the hand.
A woman explains that Waleed’s death was preceded by another incident involving the same security company’s officers earlier on Friday.
She says: “A boy who is aged 14 was slapped by a guard and the boy’s uncle confronted him and smacked the security officer.
“The security company started beating the boys here, then they ran out because we threw bricks at them.
“The men in the community stood up because the security guard smacked yet another person and the guard left and when he came back they started beating every man they saw.
“They had to crawl over each other, it was like Palestine the way our children were crying. Waleed slipped and fell as he ran.
“While he was on the ground, the suspect got close to him and then shot him again in the chest.
“And then he was also stabbed in the heart. All of this happened in front of his wife, she is very traumatised.”
Bo-Kaap neighbourhood watch chairperson Ebrahiem Christian said: “The suspect is a private security guard. I was taking a nap when the residents came to call me and when I got there the victim was already shot.
“The suspect claimed the deceased shot at him first, [but] there was no other gun found on the scene. The victim was shot at point blank range.
“This has been boiling up for a while now. The security guards have been smacking people around, physically removing car guards from the streets. They don’t have the mandate to speak to the car guards, they are not law enforcement.”
Christian said the security company is servicing about 50 houses in Bo-Kaap.
The company, Cerberus Tactical Security, did not respond to email or telephone queries yesterday.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said: “The circumstances surrounding the incident cited are under investigation.
“Cape Town Central police responded to a complaint on Friday.
“Upon arrival in Van der Meulen Street in Bo-Kaap, they found the body of an identified man who sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
“The victim was declared deceased on the scene by the medical personnel. The motive for this attack is an argument. Cape Town Central police are investigating a case of murder.”
Swartbooi confirmed an adult male was arrested and will make a court appearance in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court today.
The female resident says traumatised community members plan to protest outside the court.