Gauteng Premier confirms increase in fatalities following brutal attack.
Key Points:
- The death toll from the Soshanguve shooting rises to six.
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Authorities arrested a Zimbabwean national in connection with the murders.
- Investigators suspect extortion as the motive for the attack on night patrollers.
The death toll from the recent attack on night patrollers in Soshanguve’s Marry Me Informal Settlement has risen to six, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi confirmed on Tuesday.
A sixth victim succumbed to injuries sustained in the weekend attack while receiving treatment at a hospital, Lesufi said in a media briefing on Tuesday morning.
Two More Victims Confirmed Dead
“Of the eight people rushed to the hospital, we lost one person on Sunday and another on Monday,” Lesufi explained. This brings the total number of fatalities to six.
Lesufi also confirmed that hospitals discharged two of the hospitalized patrollers, while four others remain in critical condition.
Authorities Make Arrest in Connection with Killings
On Tuesday morning, Lesufi, along with Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, Deputy Minister of Police Cassel Mathale, and Provincial Police Commissioner General Tommy Mthombeni, visited the scene of the tragedy.
Mchunu announced the arrest of a Zimbabwean national in connection with the brutal killings of five community patrollers over the weekend. The suspect is reportedly in South Africa illegally.
“The man arrested is in the country without proper documentation,” Mchunu said. “We are still investigating how and when he entered South Africa, but we have confirmed that he is an undocumented foreigner,” Mchunu said.
Additionally, Mchunu added that authorities found the suspect in possession of an unlicensed firearm. Police are questioning two other individuals in connection with the murders.
Mchunu expressed condolences to the families of the victims, offering his support during this difficult time.
Violence and Extortion Link Under Investigation
The violent confrontation took place on Saturday when community patrollers clashed with a group of attackers, resulting in the shooting and partial burning of four individuals in Soshanguve. Police arrived at the scene around 6 a.m. and discovered four bodies with gunshot wounds. Paramedics rushed eight others to the hospital, though two of them later died.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the deadly altercation took place around 3 a.m. when a group of patrollers encountered five individuals on the street. The motive for the attack remains under investigation.
Lesufi suggested that the murders might be linked to extortion activities in the area. According to Lesufi, residents pay patrollers R50 for safety, R50 for water, and R350 for electricity. Investigators suspect that a kingpin, believed to be incarcerated, orchestrated the operation.
“I have detailed information, including about individuals in prison who continue to oversee operations from behind bars,” Lesufi said.
