Arrests in barbershop mass shooting
Pain and sadness were etched into the faces of the families who lost their children in a mass shooting in Site C on Saturday, June 8.
SAPS’ Provincial Serious Violent Crime detectives have arrested and charged two suspects on Tuesday. The suspects, aged 24 and 28, are facing murder and attempted murder charges and will appear in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
Khayelitsha police station held a prayer service on Monday, at the crime scene where three children and one adult were shot dead. Seven others were injured.
Provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile, together with senior police officials, community leaders and various community stakeholders gathered at the scene to pay their respects and comfort the families.
On Saturday, unknown gunmen entered a barbershop in Qwarha Street in Site C and began firing at people inside without asking any questions. The shooting continued outside along the street.
Three children, aged 4, 11, 13, and one adult, aged 30, died while seven have been admitted to hospital and are receiving medical attention.
Sheila Dlaldu, grandmother of Enzokuhle, 4, said around 4pm on Saturday, while she was standing at the gate chatting to her neighbour, she heard multiple gunshots and immediately went back inside.
Just after the gunshots stopped, she saw her granddaughter running towards her home together with her neighbour’s 5-year-old child – and just a few metres away from the gate, Enzokuhle fell but she stood up again and attempted to run, but fell again.
Ms Dlaldu ran towards Enzokuhle to pick her up and noticed that her clothes were soaked in blood.
“Immediately I stopped a taxi to take us to a nearby clinic in Site B. But I believe that she died on the way while we were rushing her to hospital.
“Nurses and doctors tried to revive her but she was gone already. Enzokuhle was hit by one bullet just below her nipple. I have no words to describe how I feel.”
Ms Dlaldu said Enzokuhle was a bubbly, sweet girl. “My daughter is only 26 years old and this was her only child,” she said.
Pumla Qude is the aunt of sisters Sinoyolo Mtsamaye, 13, and Mange Mtsamaye, 10, who were among the children shot inside the barbershop.
Ms Qude said Sinoyolo had accompanied her younger sister and two cousins to the barbershop to have her hair cut.
She said Sinoyolo was killed while holding Mange who was injured and has been admitted to hospital, while the others escaped unharmed.
She said Sinoyolo died at the scene while they had been told that Mange was shot in the rib and the bullet passed through her waist.
She said the sisters were both pupils at Encotsheni Primary School with Sinoyolo being in Grade 7 and Mange in Grade 3.
“We are still struggling to come to terms with her death. We really do not have any words to express the sadness and sorrow of losing a child like this.
“The question that we ask ourselves is what these young children did to deserve to be shot. We have not even discussed the burial preparations,” she said.
Lieutenant-General Patekile, said the suspects were travelling in a white Toyota Quantum.
He said they have opened murder dockets and would like to believe that the children were caught in the crossfire as they do not understand why innocent children would be targeted.
He said they have redeployed many of their officers into the area to bring stability.
He said almost every week they confiscate 40 guns from the streets but there are still many out there.
Ward councillor, Ntomboxolo Kopman, said it was shocking and unbelievable that young children lost their lives in this manner. She said from what she heard the white Quantum stopped next to the barbershop before the shooting and they do not know the motive of the killing.
She said people fear reporting perpetrators as they feel that they would be endangering their lives and that of their families.
She said there are neighbourhood watches in the area but the unfortunate part is that these members do not receive any stipend to motivate them in their volunteer work.
Member of Khayelitsha Neighbourhood Watch, Monde Bambelo, said for the past week there have been killings in the area every day.
He said there are too many guns on the streets and feel that police officers have all the state-of-the-art facilities and equipment that they could use to look for these illegal guns.
But he feels no one cares and police officers have become reactors instead of applying a proactive approach.
