- The victims killed in Monday's bloodbath in Gugulethu are said to have links to a notorious gang, TimesLive reports.
- The gang is said to specialise in cash-in-transit heists, with its leader awaiting trial for such a case.
- One of the women killed in the bloodbath was allegedly a known drug dealer.
The victims killed in a massacre in Gugulethu, Cape Town, on Monday are said to have links to gangs operating in the area, reports have said.
TimesLive quoted sources who allege one of the women killed in the bloodbath was a known drug dealer who had been withholding money from an extortion gang operating in the area, as well as Khayelitsha, Philippi East and Lower Crossroads.
One of the gangs, named "Boko Haram", reportedly specialises in cash-in-transit heists, with its leader allegedly awaiting trial for such a case.
The alleged second-in-command, Nkululeko "Nkuja" Tuntubele, who owned local tavern Corner Lounge, was shot dead on 25 September. Ayanda Bhorey Mtila, another prominent member of the gang, was buried last weekend.
According to the publication, the murders are said to be linked to a battle with "The Guptas", another gang in Lower Crossroads, which is said to also be behind the large scale extortion of businesses across the city.
Seven people were killed in Monday's shooting in NY78. Another reportedly died in hospital.
Detectives attached to the provincial Organised Crime Unit were probing the mass murders.
The Daily Maverick reported locals believe Boko Haram to actually be behind the bloodbath, echoing the extortion link.
It reported that, in a video message widely circulated in local neighbourhoods, the gang had warned that Monday's killings were "a taste of what is to come".
Meanwhile, the Gugulethu Development Forum believed Monday's shooting was drug-related, with spokesperson Sikelela Zokufa telling the Cape Times the house was well known for selling drugs and has been "for a very long time".
On Tuesday, Western Cape Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz called for the creation of a transversal steering committee on organised crime to convene and investigate the incident, News24 reported.
Such a committee was promised by national police last month, but has not yet convened, Fritz charged.
- Compiled by Tammy Petersen