Two deaths in just 24 hours in ‘Gugulethu dumping ground’

By Tando Mfengwana
22 May 2007

A man was found murdered at an open field between Ny 5 and Ny 108 in Gugulethu at the exact same spot where a body was dumped a day before.

A taxi driver and his two passengers were shot at in what appears to be a robbery on Monday.

One passenger was declared dead on the scene and the other sustained a bullet wound to the mouth and shoulder.

The taxi driver who had an injury to the head, managed to crawl out and collapsed near a small water pool where he was later taken by paramedics to assess his condition.

Twenty-four hours earlier police had attended to a scene where a body was found after being dumped along with another injured at the precisely the same spot.

A mother of two said that her backyard had become a “dumping ground”, referring to the earlier incident.

Teenagers who say they fear for their safety say they heard gun shots, but did not think of it, because it sounded quite far from them.

Police spokesperson Inspector Bernadine Steyn says that a green Toyota Cressida taxi with three occupants picked-up three unknown males in Browns Farm, Philippi.

“All three men took out firearms and demanded money, cell phones and to be driven to an open field between NY 5 and NY 108”, said Steyn.

When the taxi stopped at the open field the suspects fired several shots at the driver and the two other passengers who were onboard.

“The 25-year-old driver, from Nyanga, sustained a gunshot wound to the head and was taken to hospital,” she said. He is in a critical condition.

A male passenger, about 35-years-old thought to be from Browns Farm, sustained a gunshot wound to the head and died on the scene.

A 31-year-old female passenger from Philippi was shot in the mouth and right shoulder. She is in a serious but stable condition in hospital.

The suspects fled the scene on foot and are still at large. Police are investigating murder and two charges of attempted murder and anyone with information can contact the Gugulethu police station on 021 684 2300.

Steyn says that she hadn’t had any information in connection with the first incident that occurred at the same area.