By OBAKENG MAJE
North West Premier, Bushy Maape has condemned the fatal shooting of nine people at Popo Molefe Informal Settlement, near Rustenburg. According to the police, a group of individuals were sitting at a house of one of the injured people when a group of assailants opened fire on them.
Maape said in the ensuing shooting, eight people died instantly, while the ninth victim was certified dead upon arrival at the hospital. He said the attack left eight more people injured.
“We are extremely shocked and outraged at the mass killing of nine people at Popo Molefe Informal Settlement. We condemn the shooting of these people and we send our condolences to the families, relatives and friends of victims of these hideous crimes.
“I would also like to take this opportunity and wish those who were injured a speedy recovery. We also applaud the police for moving with speed in assembling a team of experienced and skilled officers to investigate the matter,” he said.
Maape further said he has the confidence that the police under the stewardship of North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, will do everything in their power to follow all leads in investigating this matter. He added that, the perpetrators of this repugnant acts must be brought to book.
The North West police spokesperson, Brig Sabata Mokgwabone said: “According to information available at this stage, a group of mainly Xhosa speaking individuals were sitting in a yard drinking liquor when an unconfirmed number of Sesotho speaking suspects opened fire on them.
“As a result, eight people died instantly while the ninth one was certified dead on arrival at the hospital. Moreover, eight persons were reported to be injured. The motive is yet to be determined and no one has been arrested at this stage. Investigations into the matter continue.”
Meanwhile, the North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, strongly condemned the horrific and pointless incident. Kwena also indicated that the police will work around the clock to ensure that justice is served.
“We urge the community to remain calm and allow the police to do the investigations. We have established a dedicated team to investigate the killing of five males and four females at Popo Molefe Informal Settlement in Boitekong, outside Rustenburg. The atrocity took place on 16 December 2023 at approximately 21:15,” he said.
The Guardian 