Shooting in Cape Town, South Africa, seven people are dead

Cape Town, October 18 (IANS). Seven people died in a mass shooting in Cape Town, South Africa’s Western Cape province on Friday evening, local police confirmed on Saturday. The incident took place on Road R53 in Philippi East, a suburb of the Cape Flats area of ​​Cape Town, where seven people between the ages of 20 and 30 were shot dead. Authorities described it as “a thoughtless act of violence.” Police in the Western Cape have launched a massive manhunt following the shooting, according to a statement issued by the South African Police Service (SAPS) on Saturday morning. “Detectives attached to the provincial Serious and Violent Crimes Unit have been assigned to investigate this case and are looking for every possible clue to identify and arrest those responsible for this brutal attack,” the statement said. “The Western Cape police management strongly condemns this senseless act of violence and confirms that the investigation has been given priority to bring the perpetrators to justice as quickly as possible,” Xinhua news agency reported. In the statement, Provincial Police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile expressed concern about the violence and appealed to community members to assist the police by sharing any information that could assist the investigation. “Community cooperation is essential to bringing those responsible to justice and restoring safety to our neighborhoods,” Patekile said. The motive behind the shooting is not yet clear and no one has been arrested yet. Cape Town has seen a surge in gun violence and gang-related killings in recent months, leading civil society to warn that the Western Cape province, of which Cape Town is the capital, is facing a serious crisis. In September, a spate of shootings in Cape Town led to more than 12 deaths in just over a week. As a result, the local government had to close selected minibus taxi routes for 30 days. Amid the increasing violence, the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) Western Cape said it had received a decision from the provincial government to invoke Section 91 of the National Land Transport Act, which allows extraordinary intervention in the taxi industry. Thousands of daily commuters have been affected by this bandh. Minibuses Bus taxis are the dominant form of public transport in South Africa, carrying millions of passengers every day. –IANS KR/