Party shooting 'was like a scene out of a horror movie'
Family in shock after eight people were killed at a party
Image: REUTERS/Deon Ferreira
Additional resources from Eastern Cape and national levels will be deployed to Nelson Mandela Bay after a party turned into a mass shooting on Sunday night, leaving eight people dead and three others injured.
Among the deceased were two brothers, one of which was celebrating his 50th birthday when two gunmen believed to have been armed with semi-automatic rifles entered the yard of a home in Kwazakhele, Gqeberha.
While a heavy police presence accompanied police minister Gen Bheki Cele to the home of slain brothers Andile and Vusumzi Sishuba, their family said they had been left with more questions than answers. It was Vusumzi's birthday party.
Gqeberha businesswoman Chinese Tys, 57, sister of the Sishuba brothers, said her family remained in a state of shock.
“We're overwhelmed with the events and the information we have is sketchy.
“They were my two younger brothers and enjoyed celebrating their birthdays. My sister was also there, but managed to escape death.”
She said Andile, 52, had arrived from East London just 30 minutes before the shooting.
Tys rushed to her brother's house shortly after the incident and said it was like a scene out of a horror movie.
She declined to give details on what her two brothers did for a living as it was still a sensitive matter.
DA provincial leader Nqaba Bhanga was also meant to be at the party but could not make it.
He said two of his nieces were there. One of them was killed while the other was still in hospital.
“The people who died were part of my circle. I could have been there and that scares me.
“Vusumzi was my friend. I'm directly affected by the matter and what happened here was pure criminality,” he said.
Eastern Cape police released the names of the other deceased as follows: Kholekile France, 54, Mbuyiseli Mboya, 64, Nomatamsanqa Mandla, 58, Liyema Poro, 20, and Nandipha Koliti,42.
No arrests have been made so far.
Cele meanwhile arrived in Gqeberha early on Monday morning, accompanied by national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola and provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Nomthetheleli Mene.
The delegation met at the Humewood police station for a briefing before heading to the crime scene.
“We've been briefed, we are beginning to establish a clear direction and we're working to combine provincial and national resources to deal with this matter.
“The direction of this investigation is for us alone. We did not even share that information with the family,” Cele said. – HeraldLIVE