Father’s pain at losing son in shooting
THE Musalli (worshipper) killed when four men opened fire at a Khayelitsha mosque has been described as a humble and loving father.
An imam was wounded during the incident at Masjid Allahu Akbar, Khayelitsha, on Ntlanzane Road on Tuesday.
The Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) says Yusuf Andile Silwana was busy with maintenance on his car inside the mosque’s boundary when he was approached by four men with the intention of stealing from him.
He got into an argument with the men and one of them pulled out a gun and shot him at point blank range.
Yusuf’s father, Shaheed Silwana, said the death of his son was very hard for the family. “It’s not good to lose your son.
“I miss him so much, especially in my business. He was working with me as a mechanic. Yusuf was a very humble boy.
“He had three children and he looked after them so well,” said Silwana.
He said Yusuf’s death was a big loss to the community.
“People are very hurt, all my neighbours could make jokes with him because he was so friendly.
“The day of his janaza (funeral) on Wednesday, there were four micro buses and one quantum,” he said.
The MJC has urged anyone with information to come forward. Council spokesperson Mishka Daries said they were still “deeply disturbed at the tragic incident”.
“Police are aware of the perpetrators, but we cannot confirm if any arrests have been made, Daries said.
He added that they were informed that the person who shot Silwana was a convicted felon who had been released from prison a year ago.
He is alleged to have murdered and injured other people before this incident, and since his release from prison.
“Our mosques, synagogues and churches are sacred spaces where congregants find refuge. We cannot allow these sacred spaces to be violated by people whose only objective is to cause harm,” Daries said.
Anyone with information about the murder is urged to contact Crime Stop at 0860010111 or to SMS Crime Line at 32211.