KEY POINTS
- Four killed, eight injured in a violent confrontation between patrollers and a group in Soshanguve’s Marry Me informal settlement.
- Bodies found partially burnt with gunshot wounds; police investigating possible motives, including land disputes or personal conflicts.
- Residents demand government intervention as the settlement remains unregulated, with fears of further unrest.
Police discovered four partially burnt bodies with gunshot wounds in the Marry Me informal settlement in Soshanguve early Saturday morning.
According to Sowetanlive, the gruesome scene followed a violent altercation between community patrollers and a group of individuals in Soshanguve, leaving residents in shock and authorities scrambling for answers.
Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili confirmed that officers responded to the crime scene at 6am, where they found the victims.
“Witnesses reported that eight other injured individuals were rushed to hospitals in private vehicles and ambulances,” Muridili stated.
Chaos erupts after midnight patrol turns deadly in Soshanguve
Preliminary investigations suggest that the violence erupted around 3am in Soshanguve a group of community-based patrollers gathered to resume their nightly patrols. According to Muridili, “They noticed five people on the street, and when they approached them, a quarrel broke out, escalating into gunfire and arson.”
The motive behind the attack in Soshanguve remains unclear, but police have deployed public order units to the area to prevent further unrest.
Meanwhile, provincial and district serious crime investigators, along with forensic experts, are interviewing witnesses and processing evidence.
The Marry Me informal settlement, home to 450 families, has long been a hotspot for land disputes and crime. Many residents live in fear, as the area remains unrecognised by the City of Tshwane due to its location on private land.
Community leader Thabo Mokoena expressed frustration: “We have no proper policing, no services, and now our people are dying. When will the government intervene?”
This incident in Soshanguve follows recent reports of extortion and land-related violence in other parts of Gauteng, including allegations against former SAA board member Yakhe Kwinana, accused of intimidating tenants on her Eastern Cape property.
