The investigation into the mass shooting at Kwandelo Shisanyama in Lwandle, Strand, is ongoing, with police still trying to establish the motive behind the incident. Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said the motive for the mass shooting that claimed 11 lives has not yet been conclusively established. The incident occurred in September when three gunmen allegedly opened fire on patrons, killing 11 people and injuring 10 others.
A 32-year-old man has been arrested in possession of a firearm and ammunition in connection with the shooting. He appeared at the Strand Magistrate’s Court on October 12 on charges of murder, attempted murder, and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. Police had ordered the premises to stop operating prior to the incident, citing a lack of compliance with licensing regulations.
According to Cachalia, the police applied an intelligence-led approach in the Lwandle area before the incident, which included monitoring activities at the affected premises and assessing identified compliance and operational risks. The police had received information that the premises did not possess the required compliance licence and formally instructed the owner to cease operations.
Despite the intelligence-led approach, the investigation has not established any links to organised criminal networks. Cachalia stated that the police had activated a coordinated intelligence-led investigation after the incident, which resulted in the identification and arrest of a suspect. The police continue to conduct operations to prevent further mass shootings in Lwandle and surrounding high-risk areas.
The police are conducting intelligence-led operations to disrupt violent-crime networks, strengthen police visibility, identify armed suspects, and reduce the risk of retaliatory attacks. These operations include stop-and-search activities, firearm tracing, targeted suspect tracing, compliance inspections, and the execution of search warrants where applicable.
The police are also focusing on enhancing detection and confiscation of illegal firearms through dedicated firearm search-and-seizure operations. These interventions aim to disrupt the circulation of illegal firearms, strengthen crime prevention efforts, and reduce the availability of weapons used in violent and organised criminal activities.
The Lwandle mass shooting has sparked concerns about crime and safety in the area, with the ANC and other parties calling for greater action to be taken to prevent such incidents. The police's efforts to address the issue are ongoing, with a focus on intelligence-led policing and community engagement.
Key points
- The police have found no evidence of organised-crime links in the Lwandle mass shooting.
- A 32-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the shooting.
- The police are conducting ongoing operations to prevent further mass shootings in Lwandle and surrounding areas.
