Four men were shot dead and another four were seriously wounded during a shoot-out with police in Phoenix, Milnerton, last night, Thursday August 29.
Provincial police spokeswoman Brigadier Novella Potelwa said the gun battle between alleged extortion suspects and police comes after the Western Cape task team received a tip-off about a group of men travelling in a taxi, plotting a mass shooting in the area.
At 9.30am on Friday morning, Brigadier Potelwa said the provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembesile Patekile, was at the scene in Apollo Way where police were still investigating.
“The wounded suspects, all from Cape Town aged 23, 30, 34 and 38, are under police guard in a medical facility.
“Four firearms and rounds of ammunition were seized from the vehicle the suspects were travelling in,” said Brigadier Potelwa.
The shoot-out comes hours before Police Minister Senzo Mchunu is set to release the fourth quarter crime stats for the country.
Western Cape Provincial Community Police Board member Justin Kumhlen commended the police for their swift response to the tip-off.
“We trust that these suspects will be brought before the court, and we call upon the judiciary and all other relevant role players to ensure that they experience the full force of the law of South Africa.”
Residents of Phoenix said they have been left severely traumatised by the incident.
A well-known activist in the community, who did not want to be named fearing victimisation, said she and neighbours chatted on their street group chat about the incident and only peeped out once they saw more police and ambulance arriving at the scene.
She said the sight of the dead bodies and the moans and groans of the injured men are still fresh in her memory.
“It was just after 9pm, we got no sleep and some neighbours have been left severely traumatised as something like this had never happened since we’ve been living here for almost 30 years,” she said.
Voice notes and WhatsApp text messages were forwarded to Tabletalk, where residents of Apollo Way and Rhemus Street expressed their fear and concerns around the incident.
Residents believe that this is just the start of a gang-turf war in the area and warned their neighbours to be safe.
According to another WhatsApp text sent to us by a concerned mother, a 12-year-old boy was taken to hospital to be treated for shock as he was in the bathroom when a gunshot shattered the window.
“He is doing well but cannot stop talking about what he has heard and seen,” read the text.
