A grieving pastor who lost his son in deadly shootings in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain, over the weekend says innocent people are paying the price for gang violence.
Pastor Stephen Noble’s son Alfonso, 39, was one of three people who were killed within 24 hours in the area over the weekend.
Alfonso was gunned down along the railway line around noon on Sunday.
And although police deployed more forces in the area, it didn’t quell the violence as three more people were shot and killed in a tavern in Rocklands just a few hours later. Six others were wounded in the same incident.
The shooting brought the number of people killed in gang violence over the weekend in Rocklands to six.
Police spokesperson Colonel Andre Traut says detectives attached to the Provincial Serious and Violent Crimes Unit are probing the circumstances that left three men with fatal gunshot wounds and six others injured on Sunday night in what is believed to be a gang related incident.
Traut reports: “At around 7.30pm two unknown assailants opened fire at a group of men aged between 29 and 46 at a tavern in Stratus Street in Rocklands, killing three of the men on the scene.
“The injured victims were admitted to hospital for medical treatment while the suspects fled which initiated a large scale manhunt in the vicinity and adjacent neighbourhoods.
“In the meantime, additional operational forces have been deployed in the area to curb retaliation or any other form of violence, as gangsterism holding communities at ransom will not be allowed.”
A resident said a gang war is currently being waged between the Americans and Fancy Boys.
On Saturday night, two people were shot, one dead, in Gold Street, Rocklands around 9pm in a drive-by shooting and while that scene was still active, another person was shot and killed in nearby Viscount Avenue.
On Sunday around noon, Alfonso was shot and killed in at the railway line.
Pastor Stephen says when he arrived at the scene, he found Alfonso with three bullet wounds.
The devastated dad says: “I don't think he was the target, but I think he wanted to smoke so he took a walk.
“While smoking, two guys [shooters] passed him, I think they may have asked him something. He was then shot twice behind the ear and once in the neck.”
The pastor adds that when he arrived on the scene, people were already helping his son.
The hartseer man says: “There was a lady that was kneeling by him and holding a piece of cloth by his neck. She asked me to hold the rag and she walked away.
“I tried speaking to my son even though I had no idea whether he was still alive or not. His eyes were opened, I called him by his name, he didn't respond.
“I was then told to move from the scene and went to stand on the other side of the police tape.”
Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen says better police work is needed: “This and other violent incidents that we are experiencing is not happening haphazardly.
“SAPS should ensure that their intelligence works optimally and that everything is done to prevent cases such as these.”
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za