Police minister Bheki Cele has revealed that Alexandra police responded to the shooting sprees more than two hours after they happened.

This while he announced that a sixth person died in hospital on Friday following a series of shootings and robberies in the township on Thursday night.

A total of 10 people were shot and robbed of their belongings in different areas in the Johannesburg township.

“Upon investigation, I discovered that police responded about two-and-a-half hours late to the incidents. We will have to engage with the management of the police station to see if there could be better co-ordination because I think it was a matter of co-ordination,” Cele said.

Alex FM music manager Joshua Mbatha is among the five people who died on Thursday night after he and his colleagues were accosted by gunmen while walking home.

Their cellphones and shoes were taken before Mbatha was shot in the chest.

Mbatha died at the Masakhane Clinic around 9pm.

Cele said seven people believed to be part of the gang have been arrested and were found in possession a number of cellphones, ammunition and unlicensed firearms.

“Initially five people were reported to be dead. The sixth person died today in hospital.

“The people that were arrested were found with cellphones. Police will still search whether the cellphones belong to any of the victims that were robbed yesterday...”

Cele and Gauteng premier David Makhura said police were hot on the heels of other suspects.

“We will not leave this place until the suspects are arrested,” Makhura said.

“The people of Alexandra have been collaborating with the police and have passed over information. Police have enough information and they are hot on their heels.”

Earlier on Friday, provincial police spokesperson Lt-Col  Mavela Masondo said about four armed suspects went around robbing and shooting people in the area.

“It is reported that the suspects first met people travelling in a Toyota Etios on fourth Avenue and Selborne Street and fired shots at them. One person was injured.

“The second incident occurred at 11th Avenue and Boulevard Street where the suspects found two people sitting in a car charging cellphones as there was no electricity in the area, due to load-shedding. The suspects robbed the victims of their cellphones before shooting them. [The] victims were taken to medical care centres for treatment,” Masondo said.

“The suspects came across the next victim [on] Boulevard Street, where he was fatally shot.

“The next victim was shot at seventh Avenue where he died on the scene while two people were robbed of their cellphones and shoes.

“The suspects met and shot three people at Sixth Avenue. One person was fatally wounded while two victims were taken for medical treatment.”

He said it has been further reported that in the last shooting which happened happened at sixth Avenue and Roosevelt Road, two people were shot while inside the Toyota Avanza. Both victims died at the scene.

Before the arrests, he said: “The people of Alexandra have been collaborating with the police, they have passed on information. That’s why I am saying we will not leave here today until the suspects are arrested.”  

Makhura vowed that the provincial government would focus on ensuring additional resources were provided for policing in Gauteng, not just to respond to what had happened in Alexandra. 

This, according to Makhura, would intensify crime-prevention efforts.  

TimesLIVE