A man (R) holds his hands up against the wall as members of the Neighborhood Safety Team (NST) search a house where drugs would have been used in Bonteheuwel, on July 30, 2019, in Cape Town. (Photo by Rodger Bosch/AFP)
A relative of alleged gang boss Igshaan Davids, alias “Sanie American”, has died in hospital after he and another person were shot on Tuesday night on the corner of Skepe Plein and Factreton Avenue in Kensington, a suburb in Cape Town.
The victims were sitting in a red Nissan vehicle when “a number of shots were fired at the vehicle wounding two of the occupants,” Western Cape police communication officer Captain Frederick van Wyk said.
The Mail & Guardian has learned that one of the victims was a member of Davids’ family who goes by the name “Levi” and is allegedly affiliated with the “American” gang.
After the shooting, the occupants of the targeted car drove to Kensington police station, where they sought help at the Community Service Centre (CSC).
“The wounded males were treated by paramedics at the CSC and later transported to a nearby hospital for further medical treatment,” Van Wyk told the M&G.
The Kensington community policing forum (CPF) said the driver of the vehicle, said to be Levi, drove to the police station for assistance.
“We can confirm that the driver of the vehicle has subsequently died due to his injuries and a case of murder is opened,” the policing forum said.
Police confirmed the motive for the shooting was suspected to be gang related, but no arrests have yet been made.
A multi-disciplinary team is investigating the circumstances around the incident. It is not publicly known who, or which rival gang carried out the shooting. There are four prominent gangs operating in that particular area of Kensington, namely the number gang 28s, the Wonder Kids, the Americans and the Nice Time Kids.
The shooting took place less than a month after police clamped down on a well-known gang stronghold in Factreton.
Living in fear
Kensington CPF chair Cheslyn Steenberg said residents were on high alert and “living in fear” as retaliatory attacks between gangs and possible crossfire placed community members at risk.
“We strongly urge the community to alert the police or CPF if they see or hear anything that might place the safety of the community in danger,” Steenberg said.
“For a while now no shooting has been reported and this particular incident is placing all of us on alert and forces us to be vigilant because a bullet has no address.”
According to Van Wyk, the police Anti-gang Unit and Cape Town metro police were deployed to the affected area “and forces will remain on the ground until we are satisfied that calm has been restored”.