Police are seen in a street in Finetown, 31 October 2022, where a shooting took place that saw seven people killed over the weekend. Picture: Michel Bega
Police Minister Bheki Cele paid a visit to Ennerdale on Monday afternoon, where 11 people were shot at and six were killed in the Finetown shooting.
At the time of publishing, five victims of the attack were still recovering in hospital.
According to Police Ministry spokesperson Lirandzu Themba, street vendors “allegedly resisted and threw stones at the suspects” that were trying to rob them.
In the process, their vehicle’s window was damaged. The suspects drove off but returned to the scene on foot and opened fire on the vendors and bystanders.
Cele said he was awaiting a full report from the South African Police Services (Saps) on the incident and on policing in the Ennerdale area.
Some of the residents voiced their concerns, with one man saying:
“A boy came, boys came, through our streets up to the end, finishing people’s lives”.
Being applauded by the crowd, he added:
“Ennerdale police were called, they were called, but they never responded.”
Meanwhile, a local councillor told Cele that nothing was being done about crime in the neighbourhood.
She said: “Youngers that weren’t involved in crime, youngsters that didn’t sit and drink but were doing business as usual […], they were shot.”
“It’s people we know personally […] and it breaks our heart as a community because it’s every weekend. Last weekend seven people were shot. This weekend it’s 11.”
Apart from the increase in shootings and murders, she said Finetown’s transformers have not been working for five years, despite numerous requests to Eskom.
“Absolutely nothing is being done. We’re in the dark.”
She pleaded with Cele:
“We’re asking, minister, please, speak to somebody so that something gets done”.
Addressing the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide on Monday, Cele vowed that police would track down the suspects.
When asked for comment about the shooting incident, the frustration could be heard in his voice. He asked:
“How do you rob a person who sells chicken legs? How does it happen? […] This person is at the bare minimum of life. And really? You go and rob that person? You even shoot that person? You kill that person?”
NOW READ: Finetown shooting: ‘How do you shoot someone selling chicken feet?’
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