By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@GettyImages.
South African Police Service (SAPS) have arrested three people in connection with the massacre of 18 relatives that took place in the town of Lusikisiki, in the Eastern Cape.
The Eastern Cape provincial government held a joint memorial service for the victims on Sunday.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola were in attendance at a memorial service.
18 people were killed on Saturday, 29 September, at two homes on the same street in Lusikisiki.
An investigation is currently underway into the killings. Three people have been arrested so far.
Mchunu made the announcement during a memorial service.
Last week police said they had a person of interest in custody for questioning, regarding the shooting.
Mchunu added that the arrest of a fourth person would be announced soon, as police already know the name and surname of the suspect.
The minister has assured the community that his department will put an end to criminality in the area, stated that the trio would appear in court on Monday.
“So those three are in that particular context but when they get charged tomorrow, it doesn’t mean that it will be the end, it may not mean that there are other charges may follow as police do their work.”
Stressing the need for support for women, Deputy Minister for Women, Youth and Persons with Disability, Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, pleaded with the community to report crimes to the authorities.
“We are not safe in our homes, churches and even in our communities. These lives have been stolen. They have been stolen – not only from their families, but from South Africa. There are a lot of skills and talents that have been lost due to this criminal act,” Letsike said.
“We need to come together and talk about what is happening in our communities.”
This massacre has shocked South Africa, adding to calls for more police protection.
South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, according to the latest figures from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
There were more than 27,000 murders in 2022 – amounting to 45 people per 100,000, out of a population of almost 60 million. By comparison, the US rate is six per 100,000.