- A member of the Hard Livings gang was gunned down while sleeping at his home in Eastridge, Mitchells Plain.
- Residents say the house where the gang member was killed is a "safety hazard" and have asked law enforcement to intervene.
- The Mitchells Plain CPF has called for LEAP officers to be permanently deployed to help fight gang violence in the area.
Residents of Eastridge and Beacon Valley in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, are living in fear after yet another gang-related killing, and leaders have called for regular law enforcement patrols in high-risk areas.
Graham Diedericks, a prominent member of the Hard Livings gang, was gunned down while sleeping at his home in Orpheus Crescent, Eastridge, in the early hours of Saturday.
Western Cape police spokesperson Warrant Officcer Joseph Swartbooi said Mitchells Plain police attended to a complaint on Saturday morning and discovered the body of a 30-year-old man who sustained gunshot wounds.
"The victim (was) declared deceased on the scene by medical personnel. The unknown suspects who fled the scene are yet to be arrested. The motive for the attack is gang violence," Swartbooi added.
Mitchells Plain police are investigating a murder case.
Mitchells Plain Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairperson Norman Jantjies told News24 Diedericks, who was known as "Vinkie", was allegedly asleep in a bed under a staircase when the shooter walked in and shot him several times.
"We can confirm this latest killing is gang related. It's understood that the Hard Livings and Mafia gangs are at war over drugs, turf and leadership. In some cases, these killings can also be triggered by someone from a rival gang looking at them funny, or even a girlfriend could be the subject of a gang killing.
"But the [underlying issue] triggering these killings is usually territory and, in this case, there could be a number of reasons why Vinkie was killed," Jantjies added.
He said residents were living in fear and found it difficult to go about their daily lives, going to school, work or the shops.
"Because there are residents who live in the HL (Hard Livings) territory, sometimes you are labelled as an HL. Many of these deaths are just passers-by or innocent bystanders, and we are all potential victims of gun violence. One death is one to many," Jantjies added.
He said the neighbourhood watch in the area was very active, but called on the police and officers from the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) to regularly patrol high-risk parts of Mitchells Plain where murders were being committed almost every week.
"We need LEAP officers to be more visible in the area.
"We don't see many LEAP officers in the area and that's of concern to us because they come and go. We need permanent LEAP officers in the area so that police can then plan their operations around the availability of the LEAP officers.
"Most high-risk areas here in Mitchells Plain don't have cameras so it's very difficult for us to see what car came into the area carrying gunmen or what clothing the shooter was wearing. We need cameras in the area," said Jantjies.
Eastridge ward councillor Norman Adonis said the house where Diedericks was killed was a "health and safety hazard".
"I have engaged with the community in the area, who are not happy that the house is still standing. They want the authorities to take responsibility for the property. From my perspective, the house could be a drug house, and community members have told me that that house is where the man was killed."
Last weekend, Abdullah Boonzaaier, 34, the son of murdered Hard Livings kingpin Rashied Staggie, was gunned down in Manenberg.
At the time, Manenberg police spokesperson Ian Bennett said Boonzaaier and a group of men were gambling in a roadway when he was shot.
"[He] lay lifeless, face down with multiple gunshot wounds to his face. He collapsed and succumbed to his... injuries on the scene. The suspects fled the scene and are yet to be arrested," Bennett said.
Earlier this week, police attended to gang-related incidents in Tagus Road, Manenberg, where two bodies were found in Gail and Lillian courts.
Swartbooi said a 47-year-old man sustained gunshot wounds and was declared dead on the scene by medical personnel. A 27-year-old man was found in a critical condition after also being shot. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
"The unknown suspects fled the scene and are yet to be arrested... Manenberg police are investigating cases of murder, and the motives [are] gang related," Swartbooi added.
He urged anyone with information on the killings to call Crime Stop on 08600 10111.