Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has condemned an attack on community-based patrollers at the Marry Me informal settlement in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, at the weekend.

The attack resulted in the deaths of four people at the scene, and the hospitalisation of eight others. One person died in hospital, bringing the total number of community patrollers killed in Soshanguve to five.

At approximately 06:00 on Saturday, police responded to a crime scene at Marry Me Ext 3.

Upon arrival, they discovered the bodies of four individuals, who had sustained gunshot wounds and were partially burned.

Preliminary investigations reveal that the victims, who were community-based patrollers, were confronted by five individuals on the street around 03:00. A quarrel broke out, which escalated into violence, leading to death and injury.

“We condemn in the strongest terms the cold-blooded murders and criminality that took place at Marry Me. These unarmed members of the community were committed against crime and improving the safety of their community,” said Mchunu.

The Minister said it was remarkable that they took a stand against crime and that was the right thing to do.

“We commend the swift action of the police in initiating a manhunt for those responsible and urge them to be vigilant and thorough in their investigations. We will not allow such criminality to undermine the safety of our communities.

“We also call upon the residents of Marry Me and surrounding areas to work closely with the police and provide any information that may lead to the identification and arrest of the perpetrators.

“The police are relying on your cooperation to ensure justice is served and those responsible are brought to account,” the Minister said.