By Akani Nkuna
National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has suggested a potential connection between the recent Lusikisiki mass shooting and the assassination of six community policing forum members in Qumbu in the Eastern Cape.
Masemola told reporters on Thursday that “in terms of how they are linked, we do have various methods which we were able to link them, and we cannot disclose them as it will come out in court”.
The severity of the Lusikisiki shooting, which claimed 18 lives, followed by the Qumbu shooting a week later, sparked widespread outrage and instilled fear particularly in the communities of the Eastern Cape.
Speaking at the same briefing, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu reiterated that the SA Police Service was committed to seeking justice beyond the Lusikisiki massacre.
He vowed to pursue all outstanding cases in the province, ensuring that no stone was left unturned.
Masemola said they were also investigating a link to prisons regarding the Lusikisiki shooting because some of those arrested were previous offenders and the plan could have been hatched from inside prison.
“The investigation, we cast it wide, so we are still looking at the possibilities of linking other people to this specific case,” said Masemola.
He also suggested that a vehicle confiscated at the Lusikisiki crime scene provided evidence linking the two incidents.
Three people were arrested on Wednesday in connection with the Lusikisiki murders after police issued an alert for wanted suspects,
Despite the arrests, police have not recovered the firearms used in the crime. Speculation is rife in the media that the firearms could be illegal or belong to the state.
“Current legislation [on gun control] is quite adequate, but you should remember that firearms that are also in the hands of private individuals… become illegal as they get lost. Some of course [are] lost or robbed from law enforcement agencies,” said Masemola.
Meanwhile, Mchunu has issued a stern warning to criminals, saying that attacking police officers was equivalent to declaring war on the state.
This comes after an incident in Ngqeleni in the Eastern Cape where a police officer was brutally killed for his service weapon while off duty.
The motive of the Lusikisiki shooting remains unknown.
Masemola told reporters that the motive would be revealed in the trial.
The three suspects will appear in court on Friday. A fourth suspect was recently arrested.
INSIDE POLITICS
