The rise in mass shootings and the assassination of citizens should be addressed urgently before the country becomes a war zone, say experts.
This follows after yet another mass shooting in Pretoria, a month after the last massacre, also around the city.
In December, a mass shooting in Saulsville claimed 12 lives and left 13 others wounded. Another shooting in Bekkersdal, west of Johannesburg, killed nine people and left 10 injured.
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Unknown shooters in Atteridgeville
South African Police Service national spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili confirmed five people were shot and killed outside a tuck shop in Atteridgeville by unknown assailants on Wednesday at 1.15pm.
“It’s reported an unknown number of suspects approached the victims, who were standing outside the tuck shop, and shot at them without saying anything. The suspects then fled the scene. The victims were declared dead at the scene by paramedics,” she added.
Gauteng provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni has mobilised resources following the shooting, including the serious and violent crime investigations, forensic crime scene management, crime intelligence and provincial tracking team to process the scene and interview witnesses.
No motive known in Atteridgeville shooting
Muridili confirmed a case of five counts of murder has been registered and said the motive for the attack was yet unknown and will be part of the investigation.
Criminal law expert Cornelia van Graan said shooting crimes and violence were on the rise.
“It is time that the police become proactive and deploy crime prevention strategies. Currently, policing is reactive and this is ineffective,” said Van Graan.
“Better and more visible policing will assist with the reduction of crime and violent crime; it is further necessary that other socio-economic factors influencing the occurrence of crime be addressed.”
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SA becomes a crime zone
Rural criminologist Witness Maluleke asked how many times there’s been a discourse about this normalised practice. “Our country is becoming a crime zone, with limited strategies to address it.
“A human life is taken for granted, the assassination of citizens is a persistent issue in our local communities, irrespective of the geographical settings, whether rural or urban, gender and age, this leaves any of us to become potential victims,” he said.
It was concerning, and it seems as if nothing was done to respond to this manifesting situation, Maluleke said.
“The country is silently becoming a war zone, and a civil rivalry for black-on-black crimes is currently witnessed and celebrated,” he added.
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