Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
8 October 2024 | 13:00 CAT
2 min read

In the Eastern Cape, police have launched a manhunt for eight suspects involved in a brutal mass shooting that claimed the lives of six Community Policing Forum (CPF) patrollers outside a school near Qumbu on Sunday, 6 October.

The attack, which also left four others injured, occurred just a week after another mass shooting in Lusikisiki, where 18 people were killed. The suspects, armed with rifles and handguns, ambushed the group as they prepared for their evening patrols.

In an interview with Radio Islam, Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli emphasised that he cannot say much at this stage but he reported that a group of at least eight heavily armed men, armed with rifles and handguns, opened fire on a group of community patrollers near a local school. Six patrollers succumbed to their injuries, while four others were rushed to the hospital. The attack occurred as the patrollers were preparing for their evening patrol. “The suspects are unknown and still at large, and the motive for the shooting is unknown,” he said.

The police urge anyone with information to come forward. Anyone with information about unlicensed firearms is urged to report it to the police. “We need to start by disarming people who have unlicensed firearms; these are firearms that are used in committing these offences; the moment we take illegal firearms away from the street, the better chances of reducing these mass shootings in our communities,” he said.

He stated that the OR Tambo district is a particular priority for the SAPS in the Eastern Cape due to its high rate of firearm-related incidents. The SAPS has recovered a significant number of illegal firearms in this district and made several arrests, with some cases currently on the court roll.

Acknowledging that the efforts thus far are insufficient, Nkohli noted they have developed specific strategies to ensure they address the proliferation of firearms in the area.

“Even though breakthroughs are made, lives will never be retained, which is the saddest part of all this. It is a work in progress; we are making breakthroughs, but unfortunately, these incidents at times do happen,” he said.

Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene condemned the attack and vowed to apprehend the perpetrators.

The Eastern Cape Education Department, on the eve of its schools safety summit, also condemned the shooting and stressed the need to strengthen safety measures in schools across the province.

RISE Mzansi’s Makashule Gana also called on President Ramaphosa to intervene, stressing the need for a national response to the ongoing crime emergency.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Junaid Kharsany and Majola Nkohli, Police spokesperson Warrant Officer, here.