Provincial police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile, who visited the scene on Monday on the corner of Polisa and Deputy Streets, said the incident might be extortion-related. Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers
In a major breakthrough, Western Cape Serious Violent Crime investigators supported by intelligence operatives on Tuesday morning arrested four suspects alleged to be involved in the killing of five men in a shack in Mfuleni on Sunday.
Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said the suspects, aged between 29 and 35, are expected to appear in court soon and will be charged with murder and possession of illegal firearms with ammunition.
“As part of the same investigation, vital intelligence also led the team to a location where they recovered four firearms – a rifle and three pistols – as well as rounds of ammunition.
“The confiscated firearms will undergo ballistic testing to determine if they were utilised in the commission of the Mfuleni murders or any other crime,” Potelwa said.
The arrests and seizure of firearms has been hailed by Western Cape SAPS management in efforts to curb incidents of violent crimes in the province.
“Since the occurrence of the Mfuleni multiple murders on Sunday afternoon, Western Cape police teams have been hard at work in search of the perpetrators,” Potelwa said.
Provincial police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile, who visited the scene on Monday on the corner of Polisa and Deputy Streets, said the incident might be extortion-related.
“What we know is that there was somebody the shooters were looking for and they did not find the person in the house, we have now been informed that he’s one of the leaders in the extortion groupings,” he said at the time. A man was also gunned down in extension 2, and a 12-year-old child wounded.
ANC Police Oversight and Community Safety spokesperson Benson Ngqentsu this week said the murders seemed like a well-planned operation.
“While the motive might still be a subject for police investigation, given the related historical incidents, this incident could be linked with the crisis of the extortionist enterprise criminal network.
“We have consistently advocated for the strengthening of intelligence services as a crucial measure to combat this scourge.”
Cape Times