The North West MEC of Community Safety Sello Lehari is confident that arrests would soon be made, following Saturday’s mass shooting at the Popo Molefe informal settlement in Boitekong outside Rustenburg.
Eight people were killed on the scene, the ninth one was certified dead-on arrival at the hospital while scores, including children, were injured in the incident.
According to the police, a group of mainly Xhosa speaking individuals were sitting in a yard drinking liquor when an unconfirmed number of Sesotho speaking suspects opened fire on them.
The incident is suspected to be a revenge attack over stock theft and the alleged burning of about 40 shacks of Basotho speaking people in September this year.
During a visit to the crime scene today, Lehari met with some of the survivors including a nine-year-old girl who had already been taken through counselling.
“We need to see people getting arrested in this case.
It is almost a week now since the shooting and victims need to see suspects being arrested.
“They must be arrested and face the full wrath of the law for their violent killings,” said Lehari.
The MEC, who was accompanied by the District and Local Municipality Mayors, called on the residents within the area to avail information that would assist the police for the arrest of the suspects.
“Police cannot conclude this case alone, but they need cooperation from the community members who might have seen or heard anything. Any information is important for the investigators to start arresting,” appealed Lehari.
The resident’s complaint about lack of police visibility in the area, and that the nearest police station is too far away from them.
Lehari said a Crime Imbizo would be held in the area next year, where residents will air their grievances about policing and crime.
He highlighted that more than 50 police officers including investigating officers have been deployed to the area, to ensure that the perpetrators are soon apprehended.
Meanwhile, the Acting District Police Commissioner for Bojanala 2, Brigadier Mmamotsamai Ntoagae said they are experiencing a lot of contact crimes in the Boitekong area.
“We do have operations.
We make arrests and host crime prevention campaigns, but we still experience a lot of cases of contact crimes,” explained Ntoagae.
