In the latest incident, a matric pupil was fatally shot at the Motsoaledi informal settlement and several others wounded. Four other people were shot and killed at Thembelihle informal settlement in Lenasia, South of Johannesburg.
The attacks follow the murder of six people in Alexandra this week. They were shot during armed robberies
National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola together with Gauteng Police commissioner Elias Mawela and Police Minister Bheki Cele attended the Crime Imbizo at Alexandra Township.
Watch: POLICE MINISTRY HOSTS CRIME IMBIZO IN Alexandra. https://t.co/YkDY55GLDC
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) July 17, 2022
Isolated incidents
Masemola says there are no links between the recent spate of murders in Gauteng and there is no evidence that they are coordinated. Masemola says the incidents are isolated criminal activities.
He adds, “The leaders of this community who were sharing with us information who were telling us which direction can look. Some of the leaders they were telling us the people who are committing crime in Alexandra mostly are street robberies are young people. Who go around on the rampage, they kill they stab they take cellphones.”
Breakthrough
Elias Mawela says police would not have been able to make a breakthrough in the murder of six people in Alexandra, North of Johannesburg, without the information from the community.
He says a total of eight people have been arrested and they are directly linked to the murder of the six people including a radio presenter at the local station Alex FM.
“In most cases we are on track to get the suspects in areas where we have not yet made arrests. We already know who we are looking for. And it is not about there was coordination from one incident to another. Yes South Africans, we ask that they assist us and give information. We have upped our operations in the whole country. Effective from today, we will have operations in most of the provinces.” Mawela explains.
Mawela has promised that police officers will be responsive to information shared by the community.
