Police in Kanana near Orkney and Lehurutshe near Zeerust launched a manhunt for murder suspects following three separate incidents in which seven (7) people were killed during the weekend.
In the first incident in Kanana, police were summoned to a scene after an alleged rival gangs’ fight at approximately 20:00 on Friday, 14 September 2018. During the fight, a man was stabbed multiple times. The police found the man who is alleged to be an ‘SVK’ gang member already dead upon arrival at the scene. He was allegedly attacked and killed by the ‘HL’ and ‘Donyos’ gang members.
Consequent to that, on what looked like retaliation, members of the SVK gang went to a certain house at Extention 11, Kanana where they found members of HL and Donyos gangs.
It was at the house where the members of the HL and Donyos were found where a fight ensued. During the fight, five people were allegedly stabbed. The police were called to the scene where they found the house burning. They also found two bodies outside the house while the other body was found in the neighbour’s yard. Two more burnt bodies were found inside the house after the fire fighters had extinguished the fire. All the victims are unknown at this stage. The cause of the fight is still unknown and nobody has been arrested.
In Dinokana near Zeerust, police are looking for a 20-year-old suspect who allegedly killed his 15-year-old girlfriend on Saturday, 15 September 2018, at about 21:15. It is alleged that the suspect told his brother that he strangled his girlfriend and dumped her body in the bushes next to the graveyard in Dinokana. The brother alerted the police and the girl’s body was found in the bushes covered with blankets. The suspect’s whereabouts are still unknown.
The North West Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane condemned the incidents and requested members of the community including parents, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Faith Based Organisations (FBOs) to work together with the police and other relevant authorities to curb incidents such as these that took place in Kanana and Lehurutshe. She urged the public to come forward with information that can lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.