Police in KwaZulu-Natal are investigating 12 cases of murder after two mass shootings in the province at the weekend.
In Savanna Park, seven people were shot and killed when armed gunmen stormed a tuckshop on Saturday night.
Provincial SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said six men between the ages of 30 and 65, died at the scene.
“One other man who sustained gunshot wounds was transported to the hospital for medical attention. Initial investigations revealed that three of the deceased were the tuckshop owner as well as his two sons and that one of the deceased who was waiting at the tuckshop to see a traditional healer, might have been the target of the hit,” Naicker said. On Sunday, SAPS confirmed that the seventh person had died in hospital.
KZN MEC for Transport, Community Safety, and Liaison Neliswa Peggy Nkonyeni said alcohol was found in the fridge at the tuck shop but it was not clear if the place was selling liquor.
In the second incident, in Dassenhoek, five people were killed in an alleged robbery.
The three women and two men were found dead inside a home.
Nkonyeni accompanied the KZN SAPS commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, on a visit to both murder scenes on Sunday.
The MEC assured community members that police were working around the clock to ensure that perpetrators are apprehended.
“So far police have activated members of the Organised Crime team to lead the investigation and we are positive that soon the suspects will be arrested. As the Department of Community Safety and Liaison we have also activated community crime-fighting structures to also work hand in hand with the police and to reinforce community participation,” she said.
Nkonyeni also expressed her condolences to the families of the victims and appealed to members of the community who might have information to come forward and assist the police with their investigation.
