Eleven arrested after 13 killed in Khayelitsha

The Western Cape police’s Integrated Task Team, has arrested 11 suspects in connection with a series of bloodletting shootings that claimed 13 lives over the weekend.

The arrests were made in the early hours of Monday morning.

The arrests were a culmination of sleuthing work by the task team, which was set-up to track and trace suspects behind a series of shooting incidents in Khayelitsha on Saturday.

Beyond 13 fatalities, several others were injured during the skirmishes.

In a statement, Western Cape South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson, Brigadier Novela Potelwa, said the task team, which comprised of lockdown II forces, intelligence officials, organised crime detectives and a combat contingent, descended on the suspects at a hotel in Sea Point at about 3am.

“They are currently being questioned with a view to charging them later,” Potelwa said.

Investigations reveal that nine people were shot and killed at different locations in Site B, Khayelitsha on Saturday. Four others succumbed to injuries sustained from the shooting incidents in hospital and five were seriously wounded.

In an initial statement on Sunday, police said the body of the first victim was found in Banzi Street, Site B with several gunshot wounds next to a firearm at 10 am on Saturday.

Potelwa said police also found a substantial amount of cash at the scene.

“In a second incident that is believed to be a retaliation attack to the first murder, two Somali nationals were shot at T110 on Saturday afternoon. One died on the scene and the other was seriously wounded and taken to a medical facility. In the RR Section, three other males were shot dead later on Saturday afternoon in an incident believed to linked to the first two,” she said.

Meanwhile, at a spaza shop in Y-Block, two other men were killed after being shot, one in the yard and another in a vehicle.

She said reports also indicated that two other Somali nationals were shot close to a spaza shop in the area. One died on the scene while the other was transported to hospital where he later died.

“Additional information has since emerged that two other victims of the shooting incidents who were taken to Tygerberg hospital and the Khayelitsha District hospital later died,” said the Brigadier.

Shortly after the murders occurred, Western Cape Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Thembisile Patekile instituted a 72-hour Activation Plan for the mobilisation of resources that will lead to the apprehension of the perpetrators of the heinous acts.

Since inception, the multi-disciplinary team has been working around the clock in search of the suspects.

On Monday, Patekile expressed appreciation to the team for its relentless efforts.

“Once charged the suspects will face murder and attempted murder charges. As the investigations progress more charges could added,” he said.