Police have arrested two suspects in connection with the Pietermaritzburg Samkelisiwe tavern shooting that claimed the lives of four people and left eight others wounded over the weekend.
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi confirmed that two suspects were arrested and said more arrests are imminent, as the police are following several leads. He said police located the vehicle that was used in the crime and more arrests should be expected.
This after two armed men stormed into the tavern in Sweetwaters at 20:30 on Saturday and began to open fire randomly on patrons, before they fled the scene.
He said the police have observed the frequency in crimes that occur in taverns. He questioned why people opted run businesses of selling alcohol. “A question remains: Why do people always opt for this type of business? Another thing that is worth noting is that most of the customers are people who rely on grants and are unable to work,” said Mkhwanazi.
He appealed to the public to add its voice and speak out against alcohol abuse before would-be liquor traders are issued licences, as this could help reduce the violence that is witnessed. “If the public does not raise its voice, licences would be issued and this could create problems. The Sweetwater area falls under the Plessislaer policing precinct, which has over the years gained notoriety for the high numbers of cases reported.”
He said the station battles with a low number of police officers and who have been assigned to the police station while there is a high influx of people moving to the area. “The area has grown over the years, with people relocating from townships to settle here,” said Mkhwanazi.