“Gugulethu’s poor are being targeted” These were the words of Linda Kabeni from the Gugulethu Community Police Forum (CPF), after condemning the murder of two men on Saturday.
Police spokesman Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi confirms Gugulethu police are investigating two counts of murder with no arrests yet.
Swartbooi reports: “Gugulethu police responded to a complaint on Saturday. Upon arrival near to the corners of NY21 and NA3A, they found the bodies of two males who sustained gunshot wounds. The victims were declared deceased on the scene by the medical personnel.
“The unknown suspects fled the scene and are yet to be arrested. The motive for this attack is still under investigation.”
It is believed that the two men are innocent victims.
Kabeni says the community is being held hostage by criminals and extortionists.
He explains: “We are urging SAPS and Law Enforcement to investigate and bring the culprits to book because we have stated long before that we need the government to permanently deploy intelligence agencies and soldiers in our community because we are under siege.
“We are tired of living in a state of constant fear while our people are dying and being extorted.
“We have been saying the same thing over but there is no improvement on the ground and businesses are dying in this community because our people don’t want to do business otherwise they are going to be extorted.
“Even elderly people who are selling things trying to make an honest living are being extorted.
“Our community has been blacklisted because a tourist was also killed, we cannot continue like this. It is hectic and not getting any better and taking a toll.
“Our poor people are being targeted and this never used to be a thing, these sort of crimes used to take place in the Coloured areas but now it is all over but the community is suffering.”
Warrant Officer Swartbooi is appealing to anyone with information to please call Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
Meanwhile in an unrelated incident, a woman was tragically shot and killed in Philippi East on Saturday night.
The circumstances surrounding her death is unclear, but it is alleged that she was shot inside her house.
Police did not respond to queries about this incident.