Crime Expert Contradicts Commissioner Fannie Masemola's Stance on Mass Shootings Not Being Organised Crime

• An organised crime analyst says the police are not categorising the recent mass shootings correctly
• Jenni Irish-Qhoboshean says police are simply placing a band-aid on the problem, but not trying to find the motives behind the shootings
• South Africans are in agreement that the mass shootings are sinister and that the police should take action

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa has been plagued with several mass shootings in the Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape provinces for the past few weeks.

Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola recently dispelled the idea that these mass shootings could have hallmarking organised crime and said that some of these incidents were merely isolated.

Speaking on eNCA, organised crime expert Jenni Irish-Qhoboshean stated that these crimes seem like organised crimes, and the South African Police Service is not looking deeply enough at the cause of the spate of violence.

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Irish-Qhoboshean added that deploying tactical response teams or Amabherethe to areas where crime has spiked does not solve the problem, describing the move as simply "putting a lid on it".

"I think what we're arguing is that these are organised crime incidences. While we don't know all the motives at this stage, the modus operandi has all the hallmarks of organised crime and it needs to be treated as such," said Irish-Qhoboshean.

She added that South Africa has the tools to deal with organised crime and they need to be used in these instances.

According to EWN, approximately 35 people have been killed in mass shootings since March in Khayelitsha township, Cape Town. In Soweto, 16 people were recently gunned down while at a tavern in Nomzamo informal settlement.

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Police commissioner says there's no link between the recent mass shootings during crime imbizo

Here's what South Africans had to say about the recent mass shootings:

@ke_moholisa said:

"Clearly, the cops are sleeping on the job with their pants down! They should be on top of these shootings! Instead, their focus is on disposing alcohol for fame instead of helping to decrease all types of crimes which are high and on the increase!"

@MaNzimande13 said:

"Soweto mass shootings have nothing to do with alcohol, this is the beginning of terrorism. South Africans have been drinking. We never had mass shootings, I wish you'll stop wanting to be politically correct and speak your mind once in your lives. This is an attack on our nation."

Police Commissioner says there’s no link between recent mass shootings during crime imbizo

Briefly News previously reported that National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola believes that the recent spate of shootings in Johannesburg is isolated. The commissioner, together with Gauteng Police Commissioner Elias Mawela and Police Minister Bheki Cele, visited Alexandra Township for a crime imbizo.

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Soweto tavern shooting: Gauteng safety MEC says police have footage of 5 alleged gunmen

A matric learner was among the four people who were shot and killed in the Thembelihle informal settlement in Lenasia, South of Johannesburg on Saturday, 16 July. According to SABC News, several others were wounded during the attack.

Source: Briefly News