Residents from Ramaphosa informal settlement in Philippi are reeling after a couple was shot dead in their shack on Tuesday 2 July.
The motive behind the incident is unclear.
A community leader who spoke on condition of anonymity, for fear of reprisal, described the incident as shocking. She said it was the first time such an incident occurred in the area. She said the incident was well planned.
“It seems the culprits were looking for a boyfriend,” the source related. “According to information we received from some community members, the culprits first went to the boyfriend’s shack looking for him. They kicked the door of his shack in looking for him. After they didn’t find him they ransacked his shack and went to the girlfriend’s shack, which was where they found them together, sleeping.”
According to the girlfriend’s neighbours, they heard a commotion from the shack followed by gunshots.”
The source said the deceased were shot multiple times in the upper body.
“We are worried because Ramaphosa had been quiet for a long time. We are trying our best to work together as a community to fight crime in this area. But when such incidents occur they leave us with unanswered questions.”
Provincial police spokesperson W/O Joseph Swartbooi said the circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation.
He said Nyanga officers are investigating two counts of murder.
“Nyanga police attended a complaint, and upon their arrival at the scene in Ramaphosa informal settlement around 07:45 they found the bodies of a male and female who had sustained gunshot wounds. The victims were declared deceased on the scene by medical personnel. The unknown suspects fled and are yet to be arrested.”
The police appeal to anyone with any information to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
