By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has confirmed that the death toll from shooting in Soshanguve, North of Pretoria has now risen to five.
On Saturday, four people were found dead and partially burnt while eight others were wounded after a shooting at Marry Me informal settlement in Soshanguve.
It is understood that the community-based patrollers noticed a group of men on the street, and when they approached them, a quarrel ensued, resulting in the deaths of four people.
“Preliminary investigations suggest that at about 3am, a group of community-based patrollers were converging to continue their patrols when they noticed five people on the street.
“When the group approached the five, a quarrel broke out, which ended with four dead and eight injured,” Police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili explained.
Residents of the Marry Me Informal Settlement have raised concerns about ongoing criminal activities in their area. They said they have been reporting these crimes for a long time, no action has been taken.
Lesufi addressed the residents and acknowledged the numerous challenges they face but suggested that addressing those broader issues at this time would be inappropriate.
“I’m coming back here on Wednesday with all the MECs that I lead, all the departments that I lead from human settlement,” Lesufi promised.
The premier confirmed meeting with provincial police leadership on Sunday to discuss the investigation’s progress.
Lesufi said the police are working tirelessly to locate suspects behind this fatal shooting.
He said that the motive behind the attack was still under investigation.
The premier appealed to eyewitnesses to come forward with information that could help authorities understand the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
He also committed to visiting the hospitalised victims and expressed his condolences to the bereaved families.
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Community Safety in Gauteng, Dr Bandile Masuku encourages the community patrollers to get registered with the CPF.
He said had the patrollers been registered with the CPF, the outcome might have been different, as they would have had access to better resources to ensure their safety.
“Remember that we dealing with community policing, and community policing cannot be the same as the policing that is done by the police. Our patrollers one thing that we need to encourage – is that they need to work through formal structures like CPF. They need to be registered.”