The North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Sello Lehari, has condemned the brutal shooting and killing of nine people in the Popo Molefe informal settlement in Boitekong outside Rustenburg, He calls for the urgent arrest of the suspects.

Lehari today visited the area, accompanied by Bojanala district mayor, Matlakala Nondzaba, and acting district commissioner Mmamotsamai Ntoagae.

The police said a group of Xhosa-speaking people were drinking liquor at about 21:00 on Saturday when the unconfirmed number of Sotho-speaking people shot and killed eight of them instantly. Another person died upon arrival at the hospital.

‘Xhosa-speaking people were shot by Sotho-speaking people’

Five men and four women died as a result of the shooting, while eight others were injured. Police spokesperson Sabata Mokgwabone said investigations are underway and no arrest has been made so far.

Lehari met with some of the discharged people today, including a 9-year-old child, who has been offered counselling already, others are said to still be in critical condition in the hospital.

Departmental spokesperson Lucas Mothebedi told OFM News that families of the deceased have identified them and that they are from the Eastern Cape.

The provincial police commissioner Sello Kwena has since established a dedicated team of investigation officers to deal with this matter.

MEC Sello Lehari said the police need the community to help with the investigation. Picture supplied.

Lehari said people responsible for this killing cannot continue to roam the streets freely as if nothing happened, citing nine lives is a lot."Victims need to see suspects being arrested and put behind bars, to face the full wrath of the law for their violent killings."

North West Premier Bushy Maape has also expressed shock and outrage at the incident. He wished those in the hospital a speedy recovery.

Ntoagae said they experience a lot of crime in the area. "We have operations, make an arrest, and host crime prevention campaigns but still  get a lot of contact crime in the Boitekong area."

‘Victims need to see suspects being arrested’

Mothibedi said Lehari met with stakeholders in the area, to assure them police presence in the area will continue to bring calmness and order. "Police cannot conclude this case alone, they need cooperation from the community members who might have heard and seen anything, any information will be important for the investigation."

OFM News/Joba Matsheng dg