A mass shooting at the Jampas informal settlement in Cleveland, south of Johannesburg, has left 12 people dead and 10 others injured, just a day after Gauteng police announced a decline in serious crime across the province.
According to police, the attack occurred shortly after 11pm on Tuesday evening when approximately 10 armed suspects arrived in the area in a Toyota Quantum taxi.
It is understood the suspects were dropped off near a local fuel station before entering the informal settlement and opening fire on residents.
The shooting claimed the lives of 12 people, while a further nine victims sustained injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals for medical treatment. A tenth victim was found hours later by the police.
The incident has sparked outrage among residents, who are calling for increased police visibility and stronger action to combat violent crime in the area.
Gauteng Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, visited the scene on Wednesday and described the killings as “barbaric”.
Mthombeni said police investigators were pursuing several leads but cautioned against speculation regarding the motive for the attack.
“It is early to confirm whether this incident is linked to illegal mining, but we cannot rule it out,” he said.
The commissioner noted that police and other government stakeholders had been actively working in the area, including operations conducted there approximately three weeks ago.
He said authorities had activated a coordinated response plan involving various government departments and stakeholders to support victims and affected families.
“We have an activation plan which includes various stakeholders and government departments. We are putting our heads together. There is a meeting that has been arranged for later today at the local police station and we will ensure there is help for the victims,” Mthombeni said.
He added that the Department of Health was assisting authorities and had compiled a list of those injured in the attack.
Police have appealed to community members to come forward with information that could assist investigators in identifying and arresting the perpetrators.
“The team we have put together is following leads, however the help of the community will also be beneficial for us,” Mthombeni said.
“As I was moving around, I urged the community to work with us, because any piece of information that they share with us is crucial.”
He urged anyone who may have witnessed the gruesome attack to speak to the police.
“Someone, somewhere may have seen something. So if they can speak up, we can bring the perpetrators to book,” he said.
Meanwhile, acting national police commissioner Lieutenant General Dimpane has directed the deployment of additional national specialised capabilities to augment provincial teams.
These include members from Forensic Services, Tactical Response Teams and other specialised investigative resources to accelerate efforts aimed at identifying, tracing and apprehending those responsible.
“We have reinforced provincial efforts with additional national specialised resources to ensure that the investigation is expedited and that those responsible are swiftly brought to justice,” said Lieutenant General Dimpane.
Police have not yet been able to formally identify the deceased, and investigations into the motive behind the attack remain ongoing.
The massacre comes less than 24 hours after Mthombeni presented Gauteng’s fourth-quarter crime statistics, which showed an overall decline in serious crime, including reductions in murder, attempted murder and carjacking. The latest incident, however, highlights the persistent challenge posed by organised and violent criminal activity in parts of the province.
No arrests had been made at the time of publication.
