Provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Thembekile Patekile declared that the shooting incident that occurred in Nyanga on Sunday 9 June might have a link with the mass killing that occurred in Tsolo in the Eastern Cape, where six people were killed last week.
He was addressing the Site C community during a prayer service held at the Qwarha Street at A section in Site C on Monday 10 June, where 11 people were shot.
Four died and seven were critically injured. The incident happened on Saturday 8 June.
During the Sunday incident, four people were gunned down at Bush Road while attending a family meeting.
Patekile stated that all the deceased were relatives who visited the house for the meeting.
“The possibility is there that the incidents are linked based on the inter relationship that the two provinces have. Some of our suspects are sometimes found in the Eastern Cape. And most of the suspects that committed crimes in the Eastern Cape are found here. We have a working relationship with our counterparts in the Eastern Cape,” said Patekile.
He stated that the motive behind the incident is unknown and murder and attempted murder cases are opened.
Nyanga Community Policing Forum secretary Dumisani Qwebe said they are disturbed by the shooting.
“Shootings are becoming a norm in our areas. It is something that is happening now and then.
“We are saying people must learn to resolve their problems amicably. There is no need to kill each other. The bad thing is to hear that the people who were shot in Nyanga are related to the family that was killed in Tsolo. They met in the house as a family to make some funeral arrangements,” said Qwebe.
He urged the community to work with the officers to fight crime in the area. No arrest has been made yet.
