Within 48 hours of a deadly mass shooting in Kanana, Cape Town police arrested a 35-year-old suspect linked to the killings.
Kanana mass shooting: Suspect set to make first court appearance
The arrest was made on Sunday evening in the Cape Town City Centre by members of the Provincial Serious and Violent Crimes Unit.
The suspect is expected to appear in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court soon, where he will face formal charges.
The arrest forms part of an ongoing investigation into the early Saturday morning shooting that left seven men dead in the Kanana informal settlement near Gugulethu.
According to SAPS spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut, the men were killed around 03:30 while gathered in the kitchen of a home where they had been socialising.
Traut said the suspects had likely planned the shooting in advance, calling it a “premeditated” attack. This means that the crime was thought out ahead of time and not a random act of violence.
Three other men who were asleep elsewhere in the house at the time were not harmed. In addition, police discovered a possible eighth body near a container not far from the main scene, but have not yet confirmed if it is connected to the same incident.
Forensic investigators are still gathering evidence such as fingerprints and bullet casings.
The Western Cape’s Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile, visited the crime scene shortly after the attack and emphasised that the South African Police Service (SAPS) is treating the case with the utmost urgency.
“Violent and firearm-related crimes remain a top priority for the Western Cape SAPS, and no resource will be spared in the pursuit of justice,” he said.
Police still in search of Loyiso Matinisi
The investigation is still ongoing, and police are actively searching for another individual connected to the case, 35-year-old Loyiso Matinisi.
Authorities believe he may have critical information that could assist the investigation. Police had earlier named both Matinisi and Linde Madolo, as persons of interest, which means, at the time, they were not officially suspects yet but may have knowledge about the crime.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Loyiso Matinisi is urged to contact authorities. SAPS has assured the public that all information will be kept strictly confidential.
