Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has strongly condemned the brutal killing of five community safety patrollers at Marry Me informal settlement in Soshanguve.
The patrollers were gunned down by unknown assailant in the early hours of Saturday, pelted with rocks and partially burnt.
Addressing the community on Sunday, Lesufi announced that SAPS detectives have been dispatched to track down the alleged perpetrators within 72 hours.
Police reports indicate that a fatal altercation occurred on Saturday, resulting in the tragic loss of four community patrollers, who died on the spot.
Eight additional victims, suffering from gunshot wounds, were rushed to the hospital for urgent medical treatment.
The number of deceased has since increased to five after an additional person died in hospital.
Lesufi was briefed by the SAPS who told him that they “know who they are looking for”.
"They have also given me information that on Friday and Saturday nights you are attacked in your houses by various criminals. Even when those criminals come there are certain appliances that they are taking in your houses. They have given me information where these appliances are taken to and who is behind that," he said.
There was also concerns raised about unauthorised individuals collecting funds from households under the guise of supporting community initiatives
Lesufi said he was told about some people serving sentences in prison who were still coordinating criminal activities in the community.
He said: “There is no excuse to kill people in that brutal manner where you have to throw rocks at them and even put fire to them. There is no excuse for that heartless behaviour and the police must not sleep until the perpetrators are arrested. If the perpetrators resist arrest I am giving the police (permission) to do whatever is possible to reconnect them with their Creator up there," he said.
He promised to return to the community on Wednesday to engage with residents and listen to their concerns on various issues.
Local councillor Tshepo Malefane said the community has been facing a problem with illegal immigrants targeting residents by forcefully entering homes and stealing appliances.
He claimed the police officers delayed responding to the scene, despite being alerted before the shooting occurred.
“We were reliably told that police were called before patrollers were abducted but the police delayed saying they have no cars to come and assist. As a result of their delays this is what happened,” he said.
One of the deceased, Andries Tlhabane, a 43-year-old father of two, volunteered as a patroller since last year, according to his nephew Bheki Tlhabane.
Bheki said he was still trying to piece together the events surrounding his uncle's untimely death.
"I woke up to the news that people had been shot and killed," he said. "When I went to my uncle's place, I found it locked. After gathering that he had passed away, I informed our relatives," he said
ANC Tshwane regional secretary George Matjila called on authorities to take action to restore calm, law and order in crime-ridden communities.
“We call on the President to unleash all security apparatus of the government against criminals and violent crimes. We ask for the swift arrest of the perpetrators of this heartless crime,” he said.
The DA in Gauteng added its voice, calling on the Tshwane Metro Police Department and the SAPS to intensify their collaboration to combat crime.
The party said:“We cannot allow a situation where community members who step up to fill the gaps left by an under-resourced police force are murdered in such a brutal manner. If patrollers are targeted, it will discourage community involvement, making it even easier for criminals to terrorise residents.”
Gauteng SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said police in Soshanguve responded to a crime scene at about 6am and found four bodies with gunshot wounds and partially burned.
Preliminary investigations, she said, suggest that at about 3am, a group of patrollers were converging to continue with their patrols when they noticed five people on the street.
Muridili said: “When the group approached the five, a quarrel broke which ended with four dead and eight injured.”
She said the motive for the attack will be determined by investigations and that a case of four counts of murder and eight counts of attempted murder.