Two ANC Youth League (ANCYL) members were shot dead in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni, on Tuesday evening, 13 October, and others were wounded, after a memorial service for a party leader. Police say a suspect handed himself over and is in custody. He has not been charged in any report we have seen, and he is presumed innocent.

Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said the dead are aged 21 and 23, and the injured, who were taken to hospital, are aged 12 to 27. Murder and attempted murder cases have been opened, and the Gauteng Political Killings Task Team has taken over the investigation.

What happened

The shooting followed a memorial for Jeanette Magugu, 51, described as a leader in the ANC and its youth league in the Ekurhuleni region, who was shot dead in early October at Mandela Informal Settlement. The memorial was held at Mogobeng Hall at a primary school in Tshongweni, Katlehong.

An eyewitness who is an ANC member told reporters that as the memorial closed, mourners marched down the street singing, toward Mandela Informal Settlement. The witness said a gunman first fired into the air and then turned his rifle on the crowd, and mourners scattered. The witness saw wounded people and one person lying motionless, and said emergency responders took some time to arrive.

Another account places the shooting at about 6:50pm on Sophangisa Street, Katlehong North. Police said the man opened fire on victims who were returning from the memorial.

The suspect handed himself in. The eyewitness said he left his vehicle and walked to the local police station. Gauteng provincial government spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga confirmed the surrender. Police have not named him.

Reaction and police response

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni went to the scene. Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza and Gauteng MEC Faith Mazibuko were also reported there.

The ANC in Gauteng expressed shock and offered condolences to the families. Its spokesperson, Sochayile Khanyile, welcomed the report of the suspect's surrender and urged authorities to hold those responsible accountable.

DA Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Khathutshelo Rasilingwane said the shooting is part of a growing pattern of violence in the region. "Ekurhuleni cannot become a killing field while the national government responds with speeches," he said, and called on Parliament's police committee to summon senior police leadership.

Background

The shooting comes three weeks before the 4 November local government elections. Magugu was shot dead in early October. We have not seen confirmation of who killed her or whether the two cases are linked, and police have not said so.

The Political Killings Task Team is a Gauteng police unit that investigates killings with a possible political motive. Investigators are expected to examine whether the shooting was politically motivated, given the memorial setting and the transfer of the case.

What we do not yet know

  • How many were wounded. Reports say three, and one report says five (seven people shot in total). The ages given, 12 to 27, include a child.
  • The motive, and whether the shooting was planned or followed an argument. Police have not said.
  • Who the suspect is, whether he has been formally charged, and when he will appear in court.
  • Whether the injured were mourners or party members, and their condition.
  • Whether the shooting is linked to the killing of the leader being remembered. Police have not said.
  • The exact time and place. One account gives about 6:50pm on Sophangisa Street.