SOMERSET WEST – Lwandle residents are reeling after four people were shot and killed in two separate shooting incidents in the area on Saturday 18 July. Both incidents occurred at Asanda Village.
In the first incident, three people — two men and a woman — were gunned down in Nombula Street. A few hours later, a second shooting was reported in Ntanga Street, where a man was fatally wounded.
A resident who identified herself as Miranda said the incidents occurred a few streets apart. She said she doesn’t know if the incidents are related.
“It’s concerning because the way they occurred is raising eyebrows. We first heard gunshots in Nombula Street, and within an hour, there were more gunshots again. The streets are not even that far from each other,” said Miranda. However, she said she doesn’t want to speculate about the matter. She stated that similar incidents are not uncommon in Lwandle. She described Lwandle as an unpredictable area.
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“Lwandle is too small, but there are a lot of things happening in the area. We need more law enforcement officers to be deployed on the ground. I hope the officers can arrest the perpetrators,” said Miranda.
Police condemn ‘senseless’ violence
The acting provincial commissioner of the Western Cape, Maj Gen Luyanda Damoyi, has strongly condemned the senseless acts of violence that claimed the lives of four people in separate shooting incidents in Asanda Village, Lwandle, during the early hours of Saturday, 18 July.
He said Lwandle police have opened three counts of murder and an additional murder case following the fatal shootings that occurred in Nombula Street and Ntlanga Street, which are situated less than a kilometre apart.
“According to reports, three victims, aged between 29 and 33, including a woman, were fatally wounded in Nombula Street. In a separate incident, a 36-year-old man was shot and killed in Ntanga Street. Preliminary information indicates that between three and four armed suspects allegedly opened fire on the victims following brief arguments before fleeing the scenes,” he said.
Damoyi described the incidents as a blatant disregard for human life and reiterated the commitment of officers to bringing those responsible to justice.
“The loss of life under these circumstances is deeply concerning. We will utilise all available resources to ensure that those responsible are identified, apprehended and brought before court,” said Damoyi.
Detectives pursue leads
Detectives are pursuing all available leads as part of the ongoing investigations into the murders.
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is requested to contact the Crime Stop number on 08600 10111 or make use of the MySAPS mobile application.
All information will be treated with the strictest confidence.
