Residents of Lotus River and Ottery are living in fear following a recent surge in gang violence that claimed the life of a young man and left three others hospitalized with gunshot wounds.
The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon around 5 pm when the victims were ambushed at a park by unidentified assailants. The police are actively investigating the attack.
Police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi, reported that detectives from the Grassy Park Serious and Violent Crimes unit are diligently pursuing leads to apprehend the suspects responsible for the death of a 24-year-old man and the attempted murder of three others on an open field in Ottery.
“Reports suggested that at around 5:15 pm unknown gunmen opened fire at the victims,” Swartbooi said. “One male did not survive the onslaught on his life while two males and a female were admitted to hospital with gunshot wounds. The motive for this murder and three counts of attempted murders is believed to be gang-related.”
A local resident, who preferred to remain anonymous, revealed that the community has been on edge since the murder of a barber on 21 June.
“We are constantly scared to walk or drive around in the area. The problem is now in Ottery and Lotus River,” the resident explained. “This has been ongoing since the shooting of the barber, and what I understand about that is that the deceased was reportedly innocent. Then two other innocent people were killed, more were shot and then on Tuesday the four were shot. The guy who died covered his girlfriend with his body. If he hadn’t done that then she would have died too. Lotus River and Ottery are under siege, we are trapped in our homes and the hotspot seems to be De Wet Road.”
In response to the escalating violence, local Community Policing Forum deputy chairperson Nicole Jacobus urged residents to cooperate with the police by reporting any suspicious activities or suspects.
“We hear people preaching that they want the army to come into the area, but that won’t help if they are not told who the shooters are,” Jacobus said. “On that note, more police officers have been deployed in the area to combat this. They need assistance from the community, they can’t do this alone. We also need the residents to stop attacking police when they are trying to do their job. At the moment we can’t say why there is a war in Lotus River/Ottery, just that we are concerned. We are still trying to find out the tally of the murders and attempted murders in the last few weeks.”
The police have made a public appeal for information, encouraging anyone who might have details about the recent incidents to call Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the MySAPS mobile application to report anonymously.
The community remains tense as authorities work to restore order and ensure the safety of residents amid this violent crime wave.
