A prayer service for the victims of the New Year’s Day shooting at Poppy’s restaurant in Melville, Johannesburg is being held this Sunday evening.
Two people died on the scene and six others were hospitalised after what appears to have been a drive-by shooting.
Police are refusing to reveal the identities of the two women killed in the incident until their investigations are concluded. The tragedy dampened the excitement of ushering in a new decade.
Mourning the loss of life on Melville’s 7th Street the well-known Afrikaans soapie, Sewende Laan takes its name from this very street, but this incident has sent shock waves through those who frequent the area.
Now, a somber feeling lingers around the popular 7th Street that, over the years, has seen crowds gather in celebration.
Acting Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi together with Johannesburg Mayor, Geoff Makhubo condemned the attack.
Lesufi revealed that while the car from which the shots were fired was caught on camera, the number plate on the vehicle had been cloned and the registered owner was nowhere near the area when the incident happened.
On the same night, eleven people were injured in a separate shooting incident in Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown, Johannesburg.
Lesufi has announced that two specialised police teams have been assigned to investigate both shootings.
