As community policing forums and police gathered at a school in Cape Town on Saturday pledging to “silence the guns” a woman was killed in a drive-by shooting less than 2km away.
The Nyanga subdistrict community police board — comprising Nyanga, Elsies River, Bishop Lavis, Gugulethu, Manenberg, Philippi East, Samora Machel, Delft and Ravensmead policing precincts — signed the “Silencing The Gun” pledge in Manenberg.
The 30-year-old woman’s covered body lay on the pavement in the rain outside a row of houses on 5th Street in Heideveld. Provincial police spokesperson Lt-Col Malcolm Pojie said she was shot at 11:15am.
The street was deserted when TimesLIVE visited the scene. Two police vans blocked the road, which was cordoned off with yellow tape.
Pojie said the woman was “shot and fatally wounded during a drive-by shooting”. Manenberg police are investigating the murder.
“The circumstances and motive form part of the continued investigation. The suspects are yet to be identified and apprehended,” said Pojie.
Acting chairperson of the Manenberg community policing forum Vanessa Adriaanse said the murder appeared to be gang-related. The victim was a witness in a criminal case.
“It is disheartening to think that we are attending an event in Manenberg about silencing the guns on Women’s Day, and they have just shot and killed a female,” said Adriaanse.
“How abnormal can our communities still become? We are now standing over the body of a young female aged 30 who was just shot and killed. Our hearts are bleeding. As women. What must we do?”
Adriaanse believes the motive for the killing was to silence the woman: “She was a witness in a case and that might be why she has been killed.”
Adriaanse left the crime scene to sign the pledge at Phoenix High School with other stakeholders.
“As leaders in policing, government and civil society, and as representatives of the communities most affected by gun violence, we acknowledge the devastating effect of illegal firearms on the lives of our residents — especially women, children and the vulnerable,” the pledge reads.
“We recognise that firearm-related violence has stolen lives, shattered families and undermined public safety and trust. We also acknowledge that effective change requires collective will, co-ordinated action and the active involvement of all sectors of society.”
TimesLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.