- A 22-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murders of an alleged gang leader and his 11-year-old son.
- The father and son were shot at their Lavender Hill home on Friday night.
- The shooting raised fears of retaliation killings in a community already plagued by gang violence.
A Cape Town man has been arrested in connection with the murders of an alleged gang leader and his 11-year-old son.
The father and son were killed in a shooting at their Lavender Hill home on Friday night.
The alleged shooter was arrested in Steenberg on Monday evening, said police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg.
"The case was assigned to Anti-Gang Unit detectives, who worked around the clock to bring the perpetrator of this double murder to book. On Monday evening, the detectives made a breakthrough in the case when they conducted a tracing operation which led them to an address in Cradock Road, Steenberg, where a 22-year-old male was arrested in connection with the murders," said Twigg.
Community activist Howard Soetwater said while residents were relieved that one shooter was off the streets, the threat of retaliation killings still existed.
"People are scared of retaliation. The shootings are not stopping. The community fears for their lives," he said.
Soetwater also raised concerns that the shooting of innocent bystanders was not given the same level of attention as high-profile cases.
"When a normal person is shot, the case just gets a look-over. But when it's a high-profile case like a gang leader, then it gets more attention. It's unfair to the community, and it adds to the community mistrusting the police," he said.
Steenberg Community Policing Forum chairperson Gavin Walbrugh welcomed the arrest.
He said:
Walbrugh said the number of shootings remained a concern for residents.
He urged witnesses to work with the police to ensure that shooters were apprehended and convicted.
"Police don't get statements from witnesses. People don't want to come forward because they say they're scared. If the police don't have a witness statement, they can't build a solid case," he said.
Walbrugh disputed that police were quick to act only in high-profile cases. He said a conviction and 15-year sentence were recently secured in a case of child murder, which took place two years ago.
"It takes time to secure convictions," he said.