Tribal tensions? Nine people murdered, eight injured on Day of Reconciliation in North West

Police are investigating the brutal murder of nine people who were shot at the Popo Molefe informal settlement in Boitekong outside Rustenburg. File Picture: Breki Mndlongwa

A dedicated team of police officers has been established to investigate the murder of nine people at the Popo Molefe informal settlement in Boitekong outside Rustenburg.

From the nine people who were killed on Saturday night, five are men and four are women.

“According to information available at this stage, a group of mainly Xhosa speaking individuals were sitting in a yard drinking liquor when an unconfirmed number of Sesotho speaking suspects opened fire on them,” North West police spokesperson, Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone.

“As a result, eight people died instantly while the ninth one was certified dead on arrival at the hospital.”

Eight other people were reported to be injured from the incident.

“The motive is yet to be determined and no one has been arrested at this stage. Investigations into the matter continue,” said Mokgwabone.

Meanwhile, North West provincial commissioner of police, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena has strongly condemned “this horrific and pointless incident” and indicated that the police will work around the clock to ensure that justice is served.

Kwena also urged community members to remain calm and allow the police to do the investigations.

In October, Aim24news reported that five people were arrested after a 20-year-old woman and her nine-month-old baby were burnt to death at Yizo Yizo informal settlement, in Tlhabane.

At the time, North West police spokesperson Captain Aafje Botma said the five were charged with house robbery, murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, and possession of a dangerous weapon.

“The suspects’ apprehension emanated from a house robbery allegedly committed in Tlhabane on Sunday, October 15, whereby unknown males entered the house and threatened the male occupant with a firearm and robbed him of his cash and a cellphone.”