Durban — The KwaZulu-Natal government – office of the premier Department of Transport, and Community Safety and Liaison – has called on law enforcement to act swiftly in finding the suspects who gunned down six people and injured one in a mass shooting in Clermont, west of Durban, on Friday night.
This while detectives from the Provincial Organised Crime Unit appealed to the community for information regarding the incident.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said that on Friday night, six people were shot and killed while one was injured at an informal settlement in Clermont.
“The seven men were in a room within the informal settlement when unknown persons opened fire into the abode,” Naicker said.
Charges of murder and attempted murder are being investigated by the Provincial Organised Crime Unit, he said.
KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube called on police to leave no stone unturned in solving the murder of the six people in Clermont.
Dube-Ncube expressed utter shock and outrage after learning about this act of cold-blooded murder.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the callous murder of six people in Clermont and call on police to scour every corner of the province to find the perpetrators of this horrendous act so that they can be brought to book.
“As we are approaching the festive season, police have been tasked to identify all crime hotspots in the province as part of our comprehensive Festive Season Integrated Safety Plan and to deploy additional officers to beef up visibility. We will not allow a situation whereby citizens live in fear,” Dube-Ncube said.
She reiterated that the provincial government has a zero-tolerance stance towards all types of crime, more especially murder.
“Issues pertaining to safety and security require an integrated approach from all sectors of society. Government, business, and civil society, including community policing forums, need to work together to address criminal activities and instability to ensure a safe society and thriving economy.
“We will never win the war against crime if community members continue to protect criminals,” Dube-Ncube said.
KZN Transport, Community Safety and Liaison MEC Sipho Hlomuka has called on police to act with speed and efficiency and apprehend those responsible for the murders.
Hlomuka spoke with the provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, to deploy a high-level investigative team forthwith and to ensure that those responsible for this callous act of criminality are “removed from society and face the full might of the law”, he emphasised.
Hlomuka takes comfort in the fact that a Provincial Organised Crime Unit has been assigned to investigate and to bring perpetrators to book.
He said that police reports indicate that at about 10.30pm on Friday, six people were shot and killed. One sustained injury while sitting in an informal settlement in Clermont. It is alleged that they were attacked by unknown gunmen.
Hlomuka strongly condemned this brazen act of criminality and reiterated the government’s pledge of building a stronger united front against crime in all its forms.
“The provincial government is at the final stages of formulating and introducing a provincial integrated law enforcement and safety month campaign.
“It will see a heightened level of law enforcement by all organs of the Justice Crime Prevention and Security cluster. This is an improved all-encompassing approach to ensure that people are always and feel safe, especially during the festive season and beyond,” Hlomuka said.
He called on the public to play an active role in preventing crime.
Hlomuka highlighted the importance of galvanising community participation towards a crime-free province.
“We urge people to be brave and to come forward with intelligence information that may assist police with these investigations. Fighting crime is indeed a collective responsibility,” Hlomuka said.
Police spokesperson Naicker said detectives from the Provincial Organised Crime Unit are appealing to members of the community to come forward with information that will assist them in arresting those behind the killing of six people in Clermont.
All information will be treated with confidentiality and residents are encouraged to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the MYSAPS APP to share information, Naicker said.
Mkhwanazi said: “These types of incidents must be condemned by all sectors of society. We are appealing to citizens to work with investigators from the Provincial Organised Crime Unit to bring the perpetrators to book. There can be no reason to justify killing people in such a brutal manner.”
Daily News