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1 year ago
24
Zakariyah Noble, 6, was shot and killed in Hanover Park on Monday.
- Zakariyah Noble was shot dead during the ongoing gang violence in Hanover Park.
- Another child, who was running away from gunshots, died after accidentally stepping onto an electric cable.
- Police are investigating both cases.
Western Cape police are investigating the deaths of two young boys who were killed in Hanover Park on Monday night.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm Pojie said that, in the first incident, when Philippi police arrived at Rywood Walk, they found the body of six-year-old Zakariyah Noble. He had been caught in a gang crossfire just after 17:00.
"Reports reveal that the boy sustained a gunshot wound to the chest. He was taken to a local hospital where he was declared deceased as he succumbed to the injury sustained," said Pojie.
Pojie said the circumstances surrounding the incident were being investigated.
READ | Bloody weekend: 10 people killed in Cape Town, where 170 shots were fired in two hours
Zakariyah's heartbroken family told News24 they were struggling to accept the loss of the child.
The six-year-old will be laid to rest on Wednesday.
His dad, Kieyamodien Noble, was at work when he received the chilling call from relatives that his bleeding son had been rushed to the local day hospital.
"He had bled too much. They weren't able to save him. I can't believe I am saying this – he died. My mind can't accept that this is real. He just turned six in July," said Kieyamodien.
He added:
He had next year already planned out – he was going to Grade 1 at Turfhall Primary and would finally get to swop his Grade R shorts and T-shirt for a tie and real school shoes. He was so excited about that.
He said Zakariyah's cousins saw the bullet hit him, after which he was sprawled in the courtyard where they had often played for hours on end.
"They are shattered and don't understand what is going on. They are convinced that he is going to wake up again," Kieyamodien said.
The little boy's heartbroken grandmother, Kasifah Morkel, said she had looked after him when he was just three months old.
She was "devastated" when she got the call that she needed to get to the hospital.
"I actually just went quiet from shock. I had to ask my family members to repeat what they told me because I couldn't believe what I heard. I then went immediately to the trauma unit at the Hanover Park Day Care Centre," said Kasifah.
She recalled that, a few months back, Zakariyah had a career day at school where he dressed up as a policeman because he believed that one day he "would lock up the bad people".
"He hated the gang violence. He would tell everyone to stay inside when he heard the gunshots going off. He wouldn't let his sister out of his sight when the gang violence got out of hand. He was very overprotective and a lovable child," said Kasifah.
She said the family was "angry" that the shootings had claimed yet another innocent child's life.
Kasifah said:
It's unbelievable what our family is going through. There are no words in the dictionary to describe the pain we have in our hearts. Never in a million years did we think our family would become part of the statistics of those whose children were shot dead.
She said that, when the family got to the hospital, a five-year-old boy had been brought into the trauma unit. He had been electrocuted as he tried to flee a shooting incident, stepping onto an electricity cable in the street.
"When we heard that news, it was just a double blow. That family must be so heartbroken," she said.
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Police confirmed the incident at Ash Crescent.
"He was taken to a local medical facility for medical treatment. He unfortunately had already succumbed to death," said Pojie.
Police said the circumstances surrounding the boy's death was under investigation.
The deaths follow a bloody weekend on the Cape Flats, as shootings resulted in at least 10 deaths and several injuries.
In response, police deployed additional resources and carried out high-density patrols in areas such as Lavender Hill, Manenberg and Hanover Park.
News24 previously reported that the City of Cape Town's mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, had said that, in over a two-hour period on Saturday, more than 170 shots were fired in 58 shooting incidents in Nyanga, Manenberg, Hanover Park and Lavender Hill.
He added that, in 24 hours, there were 144 shooting incidents across the four areas.
The deputy chairperson of Philippi's community policing forum (CPF), Weldon Cameron, said they were deeply concerned about the ongoing violence.
"In light of recent shooting incidents in our community, the executive committee urges residents to stay vigilant, report any suspicious activities, and to collaborate with law enforcement to ensure the safety of our neighbourhoods."
He said the CPF acknowledged the deployment of SAPS and external forces to enhance visibility in the affected areas.
"This collaboration aims to address the current challenges and to maintain a secure environment for all residents," said Cameron.
