The spate of crime in Philippi East is one part of the reason why Cape Town is probably one of the most dangerous cities in the world.
In Philippi East: Two shootings in one day, six killed
In a span of just 24 hours, the understaffed police complement at Philippi East was inundated with reports of shootings and killings.
According to Western Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa, Tuesday afternoon was one of the bloodiest days in the Cape Flats township where six violent murders were reported.
In one incident, patrolling officers faced off with two vehicles occupied by armed gunmen. Preliminary information gathered from the scene seems to suggest that the officers had stumbled onto a shootout between the two Toyota Avanza vehicles on Thekwane Road, Lower Crossroads.
“One gunman had just shot and killed a 19-year-old man. Upon seeing the police, the gunman fired several shots at the police who returned fire and shot the suspect. He died on the scene,” Brigadier Potelwa revealed.
In the same area, at around 18:30, a team of officers were called out to Block 4 where a house was raided by unidentified armed men.
“Information gathered on the scene suggests that seven armed men stormed the dwelling at about 18:30 and started firing randomly at the occupants,” the police statement read.
Unfortunately, four men were killed instantly in the ambush, while a fifth victim was rushed to the hospital and is currently being treated in intensive care.
“The police investigation is probing several avenues including the possibility that the two shooting incidents are linked. It is also expected that the investigation will shed light into the motive for the incidents,” Brig Potelwa noted.
Cape Town’s top-cop: ‘we need answers to these heinous acts’
The shocking violence that broke out on Tuesday in Philippi East prompted Provincial Police Commissioner Lt General Yolisa Matakata to bring out a team of specialist detectives that deals with serious violent crimes to close in on those responsible and put them to book in a timeous manner.
“The resources assigned to these investigations are expected [to] give us arrests and much-needed answers to these heinous acts”, said Lt General Matakata.