Four Arrests In Philippi East Mass Shootings

Four men will appear in court on Thursday in relation to the deaths of eleven people in September.
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South African Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula addresses a media conference in Cape Town, March 17, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings
Mike Hutchings / Reuters

Police Minister Fikile Mbalula says the police have arrested four suspects in connection with a mass shooting in the Marikana informal settlement at Philippi East, Cape Town. Eyewitness News (EWN) reported that Mbalula made the announcement on Wednesday.

Eleven people were shot and killed on September 29 in what was suspected to be related to vigilante violence and gang-related revenge killings.

On Wednesday, Mbalula reportedly said the men arrested were all residents of the Marikana community and that one suspect was still at large.

"We've linked them to the killing of the people, one is still at large, and we expect to catch him soon," he said.

The men were positively linked to the crime through witness statements and other evidence, he said. They will appear in court on Thursday.

Mbalula was left with egg on his face in October when he announced the arrest of six people. They were pictured hand cuffed on Mbalula's Twitter account. But it emerged that they were on their way to a funeral and had nothing to do with the murders, The Times reported at the time.

News24 reported that in the wake of the shootings, a high-level investigative unit was established and extra officers were sent to the area.