Cape Town - Elsies River SAPS have launched a murder investigation after a well-known shopkeeper was shot numerous times in the face right after opening the renowned Mahmood Shop in Clarke Estate on Tuesday morning.
This incident follows the shooting of two teenagers in the neighbourhood, where unidentified gunmen fled the scene before the arrival of the police.
Provincial police spokesperson Captain Frederick Van Wyk said that at about 7.30 am, Elsies River SAPS members received a complaint of a shooting at a supermarket, and on arrival, police found the deceased laying in the store behind the counter.
“The 24-year-old deceased had gunshot wounds to his body. A murder case was opened for investigation. The unknown suspect(s) who fled the scene in an unknown direction are yet to be arrested. The motive could possibly be robbery,” said Van Wyk.
Spokesperson and PRO for Elsies River CPF, Imraahn Mukaddam, said that the community dips their head once again as a young shopkeeper in Clarke Estate met a brutal end to his life.
“This is tragic, and we as members of this community can not accept this. The killing of a shopkeeper serving our essential needs is a crisis. The Elsies River Community Police Forum see the killing of our shopkeepers as a direct assault on our community as many are dependent on them for the daily service they render.
“The Elsies River Community Police Forum condemns this brutal act in the strongest terms. It is cowardice as it happened early during load shedding. We are pained that this attack occurred at a time most of our families rush to the shop before going on their daily duties.
“The Elsies River Community Police Forum call on the community of Clarke Estate to come forward and join their local structures, the CPF, NHW and Street Committee to strengthen SAPS and Law enforcement to bring peace and safety in the community. We cannot be onlookers as criminals take over our streets, bringing shame and pain to our community.
Meanwhile, following Police Minister Bheki Cele's reaction yesterday at a community engagement meeting, Gillion Bosman, MPP, DA Western Cape spokesperson on Community Safety, said that the Minister needs to start working with, and not against, as his outburst yesterday was not only an attempt to avoid accountability, but also an indictment on his leadership and his inability to keep communities safe from crime.
"Minister Cele has now truly lost the plot, and his tirade is further proof that he simply does not care about finding solutions to the violence faced by our communities.
“Residents of the Western Cape, and by extension South Africans, are crippled by fear due to the violent crimes that continue to plague communities while women and children live at risk of heinous GBV-related crimes being committed against them on a daily basis.
“The Minister needs to start working with, and not against Western Cape sub-national governments and stakeholders so that we can truly start making progress. And while Minister Cele refuses to cooperate, the Western Cape Government continues to carry out the Safety Plan so that our communities can be safe,” said Bosman.