Enkanini, an informal settlement in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, made national headlines after six people were gunned down in cold blood, on the afternoon of Sunday 20 March 2022.
What happened at Enkanini informal settlement?
In a statement, Western Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Novella Potelwa confirmed the incident took place at approximately 16:10, on Lindela Road, a busy street that connects the informal settlement to other parts of Khayelitsha.
According to eyewitnesses, three men were seen firing gunshots in the direction of an informal property situated not too far away from an area of Lindela Road that enjoys a lot of foot traffic.
Immediately, police were called to the scene and, in what’s become somewhat of a norm in Khayelitsha, and Cape Town at large, the bodies of five victims were found strewn across two scenes, about 200 metres apart.
“A sixth person died on arrival at a medical facility,” Potelwa noted.
The victims have yet to be formally identified but, at this juncture, we know that the toll included two women and four men aged between 22 and 27.
Here is a video clip taken by community microblogger Ezitshisayo at the crime scene:
Are there links to the Monwabisi Park mass shooting?
Authorities have yet to issue more details on the Enkanini mass shooting. At this time, no suspects have been arrested and, as things stand, the killings are being cautiously treated as a random attack.
However, murmurs ringing aloud in the Khayelitsha community claim there may be links between Sunday’s mass murder and the incident that took place in Monwabisi Park, an informal settlement situated less than four kilometres away from Enkanini.
A week ago, Khayelitsha police were called to the scene of a mass killing, where five people had been gunned down in a similar fashion.
According to eyewitnesses, unidentified gunmen approached a cluster of shacks and randomly opened fire, fatally striking a woman and four men.
The Monwabisi Park mass shooting remains unsolved, days after police increased resources with the 72-hour activation plan.