It’s ‘business as usual’ for suspects in gang killings

A SITE B business owner says that the men believed to be members of alleged extortion gangs in the area, and understood to be behind the murders of 13 people last month, are continuing with “business as usual”.

The business owner, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation, said the extortion gangs came to collect money this month, and the owner paid, as he said they feared for their lives.

In incidents believed to be extortion related, the body of a first victim was found in Banzi Street at around 10am on May 15, with several gunshot wounds, next to a firearm and a substantial amount of cash.

In a second incident, believed to have been a retaliation attack for the first murder, two Somali nationals were shot at T110. Another three men were shot later that day.

In Y-Block, two other men were killed along with two Somali nationals.

Other victims of the shooting incidents were taken to Tygerberg Hospital and the Khayelitsha District hospital and later died.

Western Cape acting provincial commissioner, Major-General Thembisile Patekile, instituted a 72-hour activation plan for the mobilisation of resources following the murders.

Police later detained 11 “persons of interest” in the shootings. However, they could only link three suspects to one of the 13 murders.

The business owner said that he earlier recognised the men as those who had been collecting a “protection fee” from him for the past year, from pictures that were circulated on social media.

“When the police arrested 11 people, there were pictures circulated on social media and they were said to be of the men responsible for the blood bath on that Saturday.

“I recognised some of them as those who had been coming to collect from us, and when I heard that some Somali shop owners were killed and money was found at one of the scenes, I knew that it was related to extortion.

“The men came again at the beginning of this month to collect, and we paid them because we don't want to find out what will happen if we don't. That has been our life for some time now,” the business owner said.

Businesses in the area were scared of alerting police for fear of their lives, he added.

Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said: “Investigations into the multiple murders of Site B, Khayelitsha where 13 persons were killed, continue. So far three suspects have been linked to one of the murders. Their case is running in court.”