CAPE TOWN – Police have arrested a 23 year old man in connection with the shooting in front of the Mitchell’s Plain Magistrate’s Court on Monday which claimed the life of one man.
Police spokesperson, Brig Novela Potelwa, said that Anti Gang Unit detectives made the arrest and the suspect will appear in court next Monday on a charge of murder.
The shooting, of which a video was widely circulated on social media, occurred mid-morning on Monday 25 August.
Station Commander Brig Brian Muller said that one man died on the scene and the second was taken to hospital.
Crime Forum chats claim that the men were both gangsters.
WATCH (not for sensitive viewers):
WO Joseph Swartbooi, the liaison officer for the provincial media office, confirmed that the motive for the shootout is suspected to be gang-related.
Swartbooi said that the two victims had appeared in court that morning.
As they were leaving, at about 11:15, four armed men “surprised them and fired numerous gunshots”.
“One man did not survive the onslaught on his life whilst another was admitted to a nearby hospital with serious gunshot wounds,” Swartbooi said.
The commissioners office said that integrated operational interventions are continuing at identified crime hotspots in Cape Town with stop and search, lockdown and tracing operations “gaining momentum”.
“While the areas affected by shooting incidents are not out of the woods yet, police continue making their presence felt through targeted deployments. It is envisaged that deployments will remain in identified areas until calm is restored,” said Potelwa. “An earnest plea is made to communities to cooperate with police officials deployed in their areas in the quest to create safer communities.”
Potelwa added that a strong contingent of police from various units are also monitoring the conflict within the taxi industry where shooting incidents were recorded recently.
ALSO READ: 5 Dead in gang-related shootings in Mitchell’s Plein
