Additional resources from provincial and national levels will be deployed to Nelson Mandela Bay after a mass shooting at a party on Sunday night left eight people dead and three wounded.
Two brothers, one of whom was celebrating his 50th birthday, were among the dead.
The incident occurred when two gunmen, believed to have been armed with semi-automatic rifles, entered the yard of the Maqanda Street, Kwazakhele, home and opened fire.
In an apparently unrelated incident the same night, three people were killed in a shooting at a New Brighton tavern.
Police sources said further details surrounding this incident, which happened at about 10pm, had not been established.
“All we know is the shooting took place at a tavern not far from the [mass shooting] in Maqanda Street,” one source said.
“But, at this stage, there’s nothing to suggest the two are linked in any way.”
Police minister Bheki Cele, accompanied by a heavy contingent of police, visited the home of slain brothers Andile and Vusumzi Sishuba, where grief-stricken relatives said they had been left with more questions than answers.
The brothers’ sister, Gqeberha businesswoman Chinese Tys, 57, said her family was still in shock.
“We’re overwhelmed by the events and the information we have is sketchy.
“They were my two younger brothers and enjoyed celebrating their birthdays.
“My sister was also there, but managed to escape death.”
She said Andile had arrived from East London just 30 minutes before the shooting.
Tys rushed to Vusumzi’s house shortly after the incident and said it was like a scene out of a horror movie.
“We don’t know what happened. But the police have been efficient and treated us with respect,” she said.
Tys declined to provide details on what her two brothers did for a living.
DA provincial leader Nqaba Bhanga was also meant to be at the party but could not make it.
He said two of his nieces were there. One was killed and the other was still in hospital.
“The people who died were part of my circle. I could have been there and that scares me,” he said.
“Vusumzi was my friend. I’m directly affected by the matter — what happened here was pure criminality.”
The shooting took place in the early evening, when Vusumzi was winding down a weekend of birthday celebrations at his home.
According to police, two gunmen entered the yard at about 5.30pm and opened fire.
Seven people were killed and four wounded, one of whom died in hospital later of his injuries.
The dead, besides Vusumzi and Andile, 52, have been identified as Kholekile Frans, 54, Mbuyiseli Mboya, 64, Nomatamsanqa Mandla, 58, Liyema Poro, 20, and Nandipha Koliti, 42.
The name of the eighth victim will be released once his next of kin have been notified.
Of the three people who survived, one was discharged from hospital on Monday.
The motive for the attack has not been established.
The police have launched a manhunt for the shooters.
Cele arrived in Gqeberha early on Monday, accompanied by national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola and provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nomthetheleli Mene.
The delegation met at the Humewood police station for a briefing before heading to the crime scene.
Police units from all over the Bay gathered at the New Brighton police station.
About an hour before Cele arrived, they were deployed to nearby areas to conduct patrols and searches.
Several law enforcement officials, including traffic police and the Metro Police, were stationed along the route between the New Brighton police station and Maqanda Street.
On arrival, Cele and his delegation, including some Bay politicians, squeezed into the modest home where family members gathered to mourn.
Afterwards, Cele addressed residents outside the house, calling for calm while the investigation continued.
“We’ve been briefed, we are beginning to establish a clear direction and we’re working to combine provincial and national resources to deal with this matter,” he said.
“The direction of this investigation is for us alone.
“We did not even share that information with the family.
“While it’s good to share condolences with the family and cry with the community, that’s not our main reason for being here.
“Our core function is to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”
Cele said he understood the community was angry, but asked for patience and space to allow the police to do their work.
He said the police wanted to squash speculation and act quickly and decisively so they could provide feedback to the public when they had more clarity.
Noting the presence of several politicians and council members during the visit, Cele said bluntly that he had no interest in entertaining politics.
“I’m here to deal with criminality,” he said.
“I don’t want any political faces to come around here.
“I don’t care who or what you are, don’t push us to deviate from the real target.
“Anyone who wants to talk about politics can invite me and we can discuss politics separately.
“For now, allow us to do our work.”
Mayor Retief Odendaal committed to avail all municipal safety and security resources to assist with the investigation.
“We would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the loved ones of the deceased.
“What we saw here was not a shooting, it was a massacre,” he said.
“I’ve assured the police we will make available whatever resources we have to catch these criminals, and try to prevent these types of killings from happening again.”
Odendaal said the city would work closely with structures such as community policing forums and neighbourhood watches, as they had an important role to play in crime prevention.
Another friend of the deceased, Chief Ngqoko tavern owner Zonwabele Solwandle, said Kwazakhele remained tense.
“But these police visits will not make any difference.
“The police need to be capacitated to fight crime.
“I’ve visited the families of all eight victims and it’s painful.
“I don’t even know how to console them.”
Ward 19 councillor Gamalihleli Maqula said they planned on inviting Cele to a formal meeting with residents to discuss crime.
“Shootings have become a trend, but what happened on Sunday was never seen before.
“We live in an abnormal society and need an extraordinary intervention,” he said.
Maqula suggested a curfew be introduced and more roadblocks be set up in the area.
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