Gauteng police have launched a manhunt for assailants who killed six people and injured three others in a drive-by shooting in Reiger Park, Boksburg, on Saturday.
According to police, two vehicles – one a silver, the other a black VW Polo — drove into the area on Saturday afternoon and the occupants started shooting randomly.
Police said the circumstances surrounding the shooting were not clear at this stage, but investigations were under way and a manhunt had been launched for the assailants.
Acting Gauteng police commissioner Maj-Gen Fred Kekana has mobilised resources and appealed to the community of Reiger Park to allow law enforcement officers to do their job and work together with them by reporting any criminal activities on the Crime Stop line.
ActionSA called on police to urgently address the surge in unlicensed firearms, saying criminals were terrorising communities.
ActionSA Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Xolani Khumalo said the shooting was not an isolated incident.
“Communities are rightly asking why SAPS cannot answer the critical question of who is supplying the weapons that continue to terrorise communities and why the flow of these firearms appears to be increasing. It is clear that communities are facing an existential crisis, with the proliferation of unlicensed firearms at the centre of near-daily mass shootings from the Cape Flats to Ekurhuleni,” he said.
The party said as gang violence escalates and law enforcement struggles to stop the bloodshed, one of the most important steps police should take is to intensify collaboration with community crime-fighting forums, which would help compensate for the lack of effective intelligence.
“The fight against criminality is most effectively waged when police and communities work hand in hand,” he said.
The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has also condemned the incident, saying such acts of lawlessness undermine the safety and dignity of people.
The party has also commended the swift response by police.
“ATM calls upon all members of the Reiger Park community to co-operate fully with law enforcement authorities by providing any information that may assist in bringing the criminals to justice. ATM reiterates its commitment to advocating for stronger community policing initiatives and urgent interventions to curb violent crime. We believe that collective action between government, law enforcement and communities is essential to restore peace and security,” said the party.
TimesLIVE