Crime activists said the elimination of gang leaders has left a vacuum that has made criminals power hungry.
This follows the mass shootings in Delft and Westridge in Cape Town which happened in less than 24 hours.
On Tuesday morning at about 7.30am in Gushindoda informal settlement, three people were shot and then set alight.
Colonel Andrè Traut said: “Detectives attached to the Provincial Serious and Violent Crimes unit are probing the circumstances that led to the death of three people, following the discovery of the crime scene on Tuesday morning at about 7.30am in Gushindoda in Delft South.
“The victims were shot and set alight in what we believe is an act of vigilantism, after shots were heard during the early hours of this morning. Two of the bodies are male and the third one is believed to be a female, as identification is yet to be made.
“What led to the multiple murder is yet to be determined. The endeavours of SAPS detectives attached to the Serious and Violent Crimes unit to bring to book those responsible for violent crimes in the province resulted in the arrest of a male suspect last night. He is being detained on three charges of murder.”
The suspect is expected to appear in the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court soon.
Fifteen hours later, in Westridge, Mitchells Plain, three people were attacked.
One died, another was wounded, and another escaped unscathed.
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk said the Mitchells Plain police are investigating a murder and attempted murder following a shooting incident on Tuesday at about 10pm in front of a premises in Bellingham Street.
“According to reports, SAPS members on duty attended a shooting incident at the mentioned address. On their arrival, they found an unidentified male lying on the ground deceased.
It is said that the deceased was standing and talking with another male when two unknown males, positively armed, approached them and randomly started shooting at them, hitting the victim and fatally wounding him.
“The other male ran away and is nowhere to be found. We urge this individual to please come forward as he can assist with the investigation in this matter. The motive is believed to be gang-related.”
Any person who can shed light on the matter is kindly requested to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or by using the mobile application MySAPS anonymously.”
Activists, Fight Against Crime SA (FACSA), said: “This violence is out of control with the recent bloodbath due to escalation of the gang-related deaths. The elimination of gang leaders has left a power vacuum, and now these criminals are more brazen than ever — burning bodies and fighting for territory like warlords.
“Communities are living in fear while the government does nothing. Gangsterism and gang wars must be treated as terrorism. These terrorists are heavily armed, out-gunning our police and operating with impunity. FACSA is calling for military intervention and a fully integrated government response specifically tasked with gangsterism.
“We’ve been working directly with SAPS at senior levels, including Brigadier Muller of Mitchells Plain SAPS, but SAPS alone can not fight this war. We call on the government to reinforce our SAPS with the necessary investigation capacity, intelligence, and manpower.
“Failing this, FACSA calls for a shutdown on the Cape Flats until a concrete plan is put forward by the government to deal with the gang violence or terrorism as FACSA has declared it, the communities have played their part; when will the government do their part?”