Three cases occurred in the Cape Flats district last weekend, leaving eight people dead. (David Harrison/M&G)
a A lack of resources allocated to the South African Police Service (SAPS) is hampering efforts to eradicate crime in Khayelitsha, said Western Cape member of parliament for police oversight and community safety Regan Allen.
He made the comments after a bloody weekend in which a gunman shot dead eight people in Cape Town city.
“From a South African Police Service perspective, Khayelitsha, like many other areas in the Western Cape, is severely under-resourced and we have had to step in and help with the Law Enforcement Enhancement Programme (LEAP),” Allen said.
He said Khayelitsha's police-to-population ratio was about one police officer for every 800 residents, which put a strain on law enforcement.
Police said they were called to the scene on Saturday afternoon after reports that three children aged four, 11 and 12 and one adult man had been shot at a barbershop in the C Site area of Khayelitsha.
Unidentified gunmen in a Toyota Quantum entered the barbershop and opened fire after asking customers inside about anyone carrying a gun. Police spokesman Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said Khayelitsha police said the motive for the attack was unclear.
At roughly the same time, two men were shot dead at the neighbouring Site B.
The shooting continued at Point C on Sunday, where police found the bodies of two men with gunshot wounds inside a shed.
Cape Town Mayor Jordyn Hill-Lewis has called on police to investigate “local extortion syndicates” operating across the Western Cape.
“This brazen and merciless shooting was carried out by criminals who were well organised, well armed and, at this point, have no fear of police. We must change this by ensuring arrests and convictions,” he said in a statement.
“I call on the South African Police Service to do everything in their power to make arrests. I am sure there is valuable information within the community on how we can track down these gangsters and bring justice for the young lives that have been tragically lost.”
In April, eight people were killed in Khayelitsha, Harare.
Meanwhile, Eskom said it had suspended services in Ndlovini, Khayelitsha, after a power company team was attacked by armed men on Sunday. Staff escaped but vehicles were damaged in the attack.
Eskom said in a statement that the disruptions would cause delays in service delivery and could lead to extended power outages in the area.
This is not the first time that Eskom staff have been attacked whilst working in Khayelitsha: in April Eskom evacuated its Khayelitsha B Site after staff were attacked, one of whom was seriously injured.
Eskom says since 2020 the safety of its employees has been put at risk in Khayelitsha and surrounding areas.
