Soshanguve residents call for intense policing

Soshanguve residents in the north of Pretoria have called for intense policing in the area following the death of two young girls at the Changing Spot informal settlement.

Tinyiko (7) and Mpfumo (4) Mashaba burned to death on Sunday, June 2 around 19:30 when assailants ran amok in the area.

The armed suspects arrived at a local shebeen and fired shots at patrons then set a shack sheltering the two girls nearby alight.

The girls were both certified dead on the scene.

Residents now live in fear after a series of murders in the area in the past few months.

Mariam Matlala said no one deserves to die the way those children did.

“It’s disheartening to hear about such incidents happening around you and I don’t know what the people who did that were thinking.

I mean those were innocent souls and they died in a gruesome manner. If it’s true that the suspects were after the father, then why didn’t they leave the children alone and deal with the father?

Police must make sure the mastermind behind this rot in jail,” said Matlala.

Another resident Nkosi Mabuza said more police officers and patrollers must be deployed on the ground so that they can combat crime.

“This area is a mess, police take time to arrive at a scene and make excuses saying they don’t have enough resources [police vans].

Soshanguve is a crime hotspot and it is the responsibility of the minister of police to ensure that the stations have enough resources.

We need more police stations so that they can attend to us quickly when we need help,” said Mabuza.

Siyanda Mncwabe called for more police visibility in the area.

“I will tell you one thing, I’ve never seen even one police van patrolling here.

This tells you that these people don’t care about the safety of the community and we need guys who will be dedicated to their work and correctly serve us,” said Mncwabe.

Police have since worked tirelessly and arrested a 35-year-old suspect in connection with the murder in Akasia on June 9.

According to police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo, police recovered a vehicle that was allegedly used during the commission of this crime.

“The assigned team of detectives has been working diligently to apprehend the suspects behind the heinous crime,” said Masondo.

Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola said the horrific incident was unconscionable as the country was commemorating Child Protection Week.

Lamola said the incident highlighted the urgent need for swift action from law enforcement to bring perpetrators to book.

“The full might of the law must be visible to make sure that the family gets the justice it deserves,” said Lamola.

MEC for Community Safety in Gauteng Faith Mazibuko called upon the government and police to work tirelessly to make sure that the suspects are arrested.

She urged the community to unite to fight crime and prevent such things from happening in future.

“We encourage the community to download the e-panic button app that was recently launched by our department,” said Mazibuko.

According to family spokesperson Klaas Mashaba, the family is still trying to process the tragic incident and appreciates the community support.

“We are still traumatised about this incident because no child deserves to die in such conditions.

We urge the community to come forward with information because that will help speed up the process of arresting the suspects who did this,” said Mashaba.

Mashaba thanked the community for their support during this difficult time.

The police have since offered a R100 000 reward to anyone who could assist with information that could lead to the arrest of an individual responsible for the murder of four people, including the two girls.

Masondo said the suspect is also facing charges of attempted murder and arson.

He said the wanted suspect is short and dark in complexion.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the suspect is urged to contact Major-General Mbuso Khumalo on 082 556 8642 or Lieutenant Colonel Andile Mankayi on 082 413 2141.

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