In the early hours of Saturday 28 September, a “callous attack took place at two homesteads in the same street,” in Lusikisiki, Gqeberha, leaving an initial 17 dead and 6 injured.
In the first homestead, four people were shot and killed, with no survivors. At the second homestead, there were nineteen people shot in two different houses, with thirteen killed. The six survivors include four women and a two-month-old baby.
However, on Sunday 29 September, police confirmed the 18th victim had died in hospital. South African Police Service (SAPS) National Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola has vowed that police “will leave no stone unturned in solving cases and hunting down perpetrators.”
With the investigation still ongoing, it is currently unclear what the motive is. Community members revealed that the family had all gathered at the homestead to hold a ceremony, marking the end of a period of mourning for two family members killed in a separate shooting a year earlier.
The National Commissioner has mobilised maximum resources to ensure these killers are found, the SAPS said. The Commissioner has deployed a dedicated team of detectives and forensic experts, which include crime scene managers, from Pretoria to piece all evidence together in a bid to apprehend the criminals.
“We have full faith and confidence in the team that has been deployed to crack this case and find these criminals,” said the commissioner. He further added, “either they hand themselves over or we will fetch them ourselves.”
The Commissioner urged community members to work closely with police “in sharing information and providing tip-offs to ensure that collectively, we [can] create safer communities.”
“We urge our men and women in blue to continue to assert the authority of the state for the benefit of our communities,” said the Commissioner.
The shooting came a day after Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu was in Gqeberha for the signing of the Cooperation Agreement between the Eastern Cape Provincial Government, the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, and the SAPS. “This agreement marks a critical milestone in our collective effort to enhance safety and security in our communities,” noted the Minister.
“Unfortunately, for too many of our citizens in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, the reality is that they do not feel safe,” said the Minister, adding that “it is unacceptable that Gqeberha, the heart of this metro, has earned the tragic distinction of being ranked 9th among the murder capitals of the world.”
“These are not just statistics, each number represents a life lost, a family devastated, and a community shaken. We owe it to the people of this region, and indeed the nation, to reverse this tide of violence,” said the Minister.
