Cape Town - Harare residents in Khayelitsha are reeling after eight people were gunned down in less than 12 hours.
Police yesterday attended to three different murder scenes in the area. Harare ranks sixth among areas with the highest murder cases in the province, while it is the eighth nationally.
Between the period of October to December 2023, 60 people were killed.
In Ncumo Street, four people – cousins Nceba and Collin Nkomana, a woman and unknown man, were shot and killed. Another man Yibanathi Ncanywa was shot across the road from them, while another male victim, linked to the same shooting, was killed in another road. In Feza Street, a man and his girlfriend were murdered.
The motive for the shootings is unknown. Police spokesperson Andrè Traut, said detectives attached to the provincial serious and violent crimes unit were pursuing several leads and working around the clock to get to the bottom of the three separate shootings.
“Preliminary investigations into the multiple murders in Harare this morning led detectives to believe that two incidents that preceded the one in Ncumo Street could possibly be linked.
“At around 2.50am an adult male and his adult girlfriend were shot and killed in Feza Street Harare, and shortly after that, a 35-year-old male was shot and killed not far from the first scene.
“Three hours later, the murders in Ncumo Street were committed, possibly by the same suspects.
“The identities of the eight victims cannot be disclosed at this stage.
“It was later found out that there were three other people who were shot, also in Harare.”
A relative said Nceba was with Collin and his girlfriend from Mitchells Plain, and an unknown man when they came under attack.
“We were woken up by the gunshots, and we were later informed that Nceba and them were killed,” the relative said. “There were a lot of shots and I couldn’t sleep after that. We went to the scene as the family, but were barred from seeing the bodies.
“They instead described the scene; they said Nceba and his girlfriend were in bed, Collin was sitting on a chair and the other was on the floor.
“We don’t know why they were shot, the cousins were recovering drug addicts.”
Ncanywa’s cousin, who was shot in a shack across from where the cousins died, said he was informed around 6am that his cousin had been killed.
“His girlfriend said someone went to their place, which is next door to the four people who were killed. They called him to go to them and he never went back home.”
Ward councillor Anele Gabuza, said: “I received a call early (Tuesday) and I was told people had been killed opposite my office. Four were shot inside a shack and the fifth was shot in the squatter camp opposite and I was informed of three more who were killed on the other side of my ward.
“What I know about the five people who were killed is that they were amaphara (known criminals) who would rob people of their phones and money. We are very shocked by this incident.”
Community activist, Ndithini Thyido, said the police had to work on preventing crime.
“Black and coloured townships are not jungles. What kind of animal would mow down a lot of people regardless of the circumstances?
“We really hope that when so many lives are lost, we stop the political tennis ball, talking about who should have done what.”
Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen said: “This is a horrific incident, and shows the little regard criminals have for life. It is wholly unacceptable and I urge those with information to make it available to law enforcement agencies, so that the perpetrators can be arrested and convicted.”