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The South African Communist Party (SACP) condemns the spate of mass shootings in Gauteng and Western Cape provinces which led to the death of at least 34 people, with many injured, and calls for justice for the victims.

The SACP conveys its condolences to the families of the victims and wishes full and speedy recovery for the injured.

These shootings occur barely five days after another mass shooting which occurred in KwaMakhutha township in KwaZulu-Natal, where 11 lives were lost and three people were injured.

In Gauteng, on Saturday night, armed gunmen opened fire on patrons in a tavern in Carletonville, set vehicles on fire, and robbed some patrons. The carnage led to the death of 17 people, while 15 were wounded.

In Cape Town, 17 people were killed in three separate shooting incidents over the weekend. On Saturday, two people were shot and killed, with one injured in Joe Slovo informal settlement, Milnerton. In Khayelitsha, Site C, three people were shot and killed on the scene, with one dying in hospital. On early Sunday morning, in Lwandle, Strand, gunmen opened fire in an entertainment area and killed 10 patrons, wounding 11.

Once again, it is working-class communities in the townships that have fallen victims of these violent crimes. As the SACP, we call for the improvement of law enforcement in townships and rural areas to prevent crime. The heartlessness of the killings demands concerted national action against violent crimes. As the SACP says in its manifesto towards the local government elections, safety requires accountable policing, functioning services, organised communities, youth development, safe public spaces and care for people in crisis.

Accordingly, the SACP calls upon law enforcement authorities to hunt down these merciless killers to face the full might of the law. The SACP reiterates its call for concerted efforts to rid our country of the culture of gangsterism and all forms of organised crime.

The SACP also calls upon the working class to join it in a new front of class struggle, to be organised in order to prevent all forms of crime and strengthen their democratic participation in building a state that safeguards their interests, including the right to safety and security. Our law enforcement agencies must be strengthened enough to dismantle organised criminal networks and reduce threats to working-class and rural communities.

We reiterate our call for community safety structures, accountable policing, properly resourced police stations, and survivor-centred services for victims of violence. We remind our structures in the districts and sub-districts to intensify the campaign to end crime and violence in our communities through the organising of street communities and patrols. As part of the responsibility to shape their own communities, we again encourage the people of our country to take the opportunity to register for the special vote, as it remains open until 12 October, so that they can be eligible to cast their special votes on 2-3 November.

Issued by the South African Communist Party