Cape Town — Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, along with Deputy Minister, Cassel Mathale and National Police Commissioner, General Fassie Masemola, to give an update on the 17 people killed in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape last night.
In a statement, police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said a manhunt has been launched to catch the suspects behind the heinous killings that happened last night.
Mathe said a total of 17 people were killed, including 13 people in one house (12 women and one man) while four people were killed in another household. An eighteenth victim is currently in hospital in a critical condition.
“In total 15 women and two men were killed,” Mathe said.
Mchunu will also address the media on nationwide crime combatting efforts.
#sapsHQ [MEDIA INVITATION] Police Minister to brief media on 17 people killed in Lusikisiki.
The Minister of Police, Mr Senzo Mchunu will together with the Deputy Minister of Police, Mr Cassel Mathale and the National Commissioner of SAPS, General Fannie Masemola update the… pic.twitter.com/M7uuiEuLHW
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) September 28, 2024
According to DispatchLIVE, the people in one household were gathered for a traditional ritual which was scheduled for today, to mark the end of a mourning period for a mother and daughter who was murdered a year ago. The group had gathered to pack goods and presents for the event when the shooting occurred.
Ingquza Hill mayor Nonkosi Pepping described the mass shooting as “gruesome”.
Peppjng said the incident was “bad and scary” and the whole incident has left the community terrified. The mayor also sent messages of condolences to the bereaved families and a speedy recovery to the injured ones.
“We trust the police will soon crack the case and arrest those heartless criminals who showed no regard for human life. The sooner they are arrested the better for all of us,” she said.
National Commissioner, Fannie Masemola, spoke to Newzroom Afrika and said a forensic team and a team of investigators have been deployed to determine the motives behind the killings.
“We will update once we have combed the scene and our teams have finalised the scene, and we know how many people were there,” Masemola said.
He added that the two houses were close to each other as all the people who were killed were part of one family. He also has said he has not yet spoken to any of the survivors but the preliminary investigation will determine how many people survived, and whether they can assist with the investigation.
WATCH THE CLIP ON X BELOW:
[WATCH] Police have launched a manhunt after at least 17 people were killed in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape, last night. One person is in critical condition in a local hospital. National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola stated, “At this point, details are sketchy. We are… pic.twitter.com/UpwgFbPls2
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) September 28, 2024
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Picture: X/@SAPoliceService
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
