[ad_1]
(Photo by Gallo Images / Die Burger / Jaco Marais)
- The victims killed in Monday’s bloodbath in Gugulethu are said to have ties to a notorious gang, TimesLive reports.
- The gang is said to specialize in theft of cash in transit, and its leader awaits trial in such a case.
- One of the women killed in the bloodbath was allegedly a known drug dealer.
The victims killed in a massacre in Gugulethu, Cape Town, on Monday are said to have ties to gangs operating in the area, according to reports.
TimesLive cited sources alleging that one of the women killed in the bloodbath was a known drug dealer who had been withholding money from an extortion ring operating in the area, as well as from Khayelitsha, Philippi East and Lower Crossroads.
One of the gangs, called “Boko Haram”, reportedly specializes in theft of cash in transit, and its leader is reportedly awaiting trial in that case.
The alleged second in command, Nkululeko “Nkuja” Tuntubele, owner of the local Corner Lounge tavern, was shot and killed on 25 September. Ayanda Bhorey Mtila, another prominent member of the gang, was buried last weekend.
According to the publication, the killings are said to be related to a battle with “The Guptas”, another gang in Lower Crossroads, which is also said to be behind the large-scale extortion of businesses throughout the city.
Seven people were killed in Monday’s shooting in NY78. Another reportedly died in hospital.
Detectives attached to the provincial Organized Crime Unit investigated the mass murders.
The Daily Maverick reported that locals believe that Boko Haram is actually behind the bloodbath, echoing the extortion link.
He reported that, in a video message that was widely circulated in local neighborhoods, the gang had warned that Monday’s killings were “a taste of what is to come.”
Meanwhile, the Gugulethu Development Forum believed Monday’s shooting was drug-related, and spokeswoman Sikelela Zokufa told the Cape Times that the house was known for selling drugs and has been “for a long time.”
On Tuesday, the Western Cape Community Security MEC Albert Fritz called for the creation of a cross-cutting steering committee on organized crime to convene and investigate the incident, News24 reported.
The national police promised such a committee last month, but it has not yet been convened, Fritz charged.
– Compiled by Tammy Petersen
