Fears escalate in Vrygrond

The Anti-Gang Unit and Public Order Policing have been deployed to Vrygrond after nine people were shot dead and several others injured in shootings over the weekend.

SAPS confirmed that a 72-hour activation plan was in place to expedite the arrest of those responsible.

The shootings started on Friday at about 10pm when two men, aged 30 and 34, who are known gang members were shot and killed in Neville Riley Road.

The following day, at about 6.30am, another 30-year-old man was shot and killed in Drury Road. Police confirmed the man was a taxi driver and that his body had been found in a mini bus taxi.

On the same day at about 4pm, another man, aged 28, was shot at his home in Apple Road, and at 5.20pm, a 40-year-old man was found dead in Apple Road. The deceased had been shot multiple times and is a known gang member.

Despite Southern Mail’s attempts to get the details of the other fatal shootings, SAPS had not provided this by the time this story was published.

Provincial police spokesman Captain Frederick van Wyk said the shooting of the 40-year-old had occurred at about 4.30pm, and was believed to be linked to the earlier incident at Apple Road.

Residents have been too afraid to leave their homes and Vrygrond organisations halted school holiday and other programmes because of the shootings.

The Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) and Public Order Police (POP) have also been called in to help Muizenberg police manage the situation.

Mymoena Scholtz, CEO of local non-profit organisation Where Rainbows Meet, said people had been too afraid to go to work on Monday.

Ms Scholtz said she was confused about the reason behind the sudden increase in shootings in the area. “None of us, residents included, know what’s happening because there was peace in Vrygrond and all of a sudden people are being shot and our community is being held hostage in their own homes and we don’t know the real reason.

“They cannot go to work because they fear that they won’t see their families again and that is a great injustice to the people.”

Ms Sholtz said those who were causing the unrest in Vrygrond should resolve their issues internally and not put the lives of innocent people at risk. “What’s happening is truly sad because innocent people are being killed and everything else is being affected.

“We’ve had to stop our school holiday programme and other organsations are closed. Where do those children go? They are either forced to play in the streets where they are at risk and could be caught in the cross-fire or they are stuck in their homes during school holidays.”

Ms Scholtz added that those who weren’t able to go to work risked losing their employment which would lead to more poverty in the area.

In recent years the area had been plagued by taxi violence but councillor Mandy Marr confirmed gang shootings in Vrygrond were rare and that residents weren’t accustomed to such incidents.

“The community is traumatised, shocked and saddened by recent events because it is generally very peaceful in Vrygrond and the violence, although targeted, led to the shooting of innocent bystanders. I hope we can come to an amicable solution as soon as possible where all the role players can be brought together and get this resolved.”

She added the recent shooting of a high ranking gang member might be the reason behind the conflict. “It’s alleged that the shooting of this person sparked retaliation against the taxis. Vrygrond doesn’t usually have gang wars because there is only one gang but it is suspected the gang and the taxi association in the area are at war.”

Muizenberg police spokesperson Captain Stephen Knapp couldn’t give too much detail about the shootings but confirmed nine people had been killed.

“We are investigating the incidents so at this point in time we cannot confirm or deny whether it’s a conflict between the local taxi association and one of the local gangs.”

Asked what interventions SAPS had implemented, Captain Knapp said they had increased their visibility and that the AGU and POP had been called in to assist.

Anyone with any information about the shootings should contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.

Southern Mail’s calls and inquiries to the Vrygrond Taxi Association have gone unanswered and Codeta Taxi Association’s Andile Kanyi said the incidents didn’t involve the umbrella body. “I know we have operations in the area but it doesn’t have anything to do with Codeta,” he said.