Cries of “no more killings, no more guns” rang out through the streets of Hangberg on Women’s Day – Tuesday 9 August – as over 600 residents joined a peaceful march in the wake of three separate shooting incidents that left three youths dead – the youngest being a 13-year-old boy.
Lt Col JJ Syster, station commander at Hout Bay Police Station, confirms that they are investigating three cases of murder and two of attempted murder – all of which happened within a time space of 12 hours.
According to the police report, at approximately 23:00 on Friday 5 August, a male victim (21) was shot and killed in Salamander Road in Hangberg.
One more victim was wounded during this incident. Two hours later, at 01:00 on Saturday 6 August, a second shooting occurred during which a male victim (19) was shot and fatally wounded, also in Salamander Road.
At approximately 09:00 that same morning, there was a third shooting.
This time the victim was a 13-year-old boy. He was fatally wounded while with his friends in Karbonkel Road.
Although Hangberg residents refused to go on record out of fear of retaliation, People’s Post learned that the shootings were suspected to be gang-related.
According to the word on the street, a “hitman” from Mitchell’s Plain was hiding out in Hangberg when he was tracked down and cornered by members of a rival Wesbank gang.
Apparently, gunfire erupted with one rival gang member shot dead and another wounded.
The hitman allegedly fled the scene unharmed.
Rumour has it that the Wesbank gang members then returned to the scene – at 01:00 and at 09:00, respectively – to search for the hitman.
Why the two youths from Hangberg – Ryaas Moegamat Emandien (19) and Anthony Pelston (13) – were singled out and killed during the two subsequent shooting incidents was the question on many Hangbergers’ lips this past week.
One theory goes that it might have been a case of mistaken identity while another proposes that the victims were targeted simply because they might have been seen walking with the hitman before.
While opinions on what might have gone down differ, what is consistent is the shock and anger felt by Hangberg residents following the shootings.
Lionel Louw, founder of the recently formed Sentinel Bay League, organised the peaceful march on Women’s Day.
He says the purpose of the march was to rally the people of Hangberg and to make a statement to those who were using Hangberg as a hiding place.
“It is people not from Hout Bay who are causing this chaos. We want them to leave.”
Louw says that in all of the years that he has lived in Hangberg, he and his fellow community members never needed to be scared to go outside.
“This is not something that happens in our community. Our people who grew up in this area, we are not used to this kind of thing.”
Louw, who is also the manager and coach of one of about 13 football teams in the Hout Bay league, Cousins FC, says Ryaas was one of his players. He says everyone on the team is shaken.
“We were supposed to play on Tuesday, but we postponed all our games. Our emotions are all over. This is not something we can forget and continue to play.”
He says all of them are struggling to come to terms with the fact that it was Ryaas who was shot.
“He was not involved in gangsterism or with drugs. He has a five-month-old daughter. It is just so sad.”
Louw says before Ryaas joined Cousins FC as the central defender, he knew the friendly young man from the community.
“He was always there to help. You would always see him walking to visit his mommy and his grannie. From the time that I have known him I can’t recall any wrongdoing or him being in a fight,” says Louw.
He describes Ryaas as the kind of football player who gave 100% on the field.
“He was always the last man standing. When opponents attacked, he would put his body on the line to make sure no shot goes through the other team’s goal posts.”
A close friend of the family who agreed to speak to People’s Post on the Pelston family’s behalf says they too are asking, “Why Anthony?”
The friend asked not to be named.
“That is the question we all are asking. Why? And we may never get an answer. You never hear things. It takes a long time before they (the police) come back to you to say what happened.”
Anthony, who is the second youngest of four children, was raised by his grandmother, Cynthia Pelston, since birth.
His father passed away five years ago and his mother two years ago, right at the beginning of Covid.
Thirty minutes after Anthony left his home in Hangberg on Saturday morning, people came to call his granny, telling her that the Sentinel Primary learner had been shot.
Cynthia walked to Karbonkel Road to find her grandson lying on the ground, shot in the neck and head.
The family says they can’t begin to describe the sadness and anger that they are feeling.
“Our baby was taken from us. He didn’t enjoy his life yet.”
The family describes Anthony as a “terggees” (loved to tease).
“He had the most beautiful smile ever. He was full of jokes. It was never a dull moment with Anthony, he would brighten up the room.”
The family says his passing has left a huge hole in their lives.
“You can feel the emptiness in the house, you can just feel it when you walk in.”
Fighting their grief, the family members too joined in Tuesday’s march, saying that they felt it was important that they do so for Anthony and the other children in Hangberg.
“This is a small community. Things like this never used to happen. We have to put a stop to this before it gets out of hand. We are all raising children. We need to take a stand and say this is not going to happen in Hout Bay.”
According to Syster, a male suspect (21) was brought in for questioning shortly following the shootings. The suspect was charged with an unrelated Hout Bay crime, attempted murder.
The suspect appeared in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 10 August. Bail was denied.
“Two of the victims are from Wesbank, Kuilsriver. All information is being followed up,” Syster says.
- The community are urged to report any information relating to these cases to Capt Gatyana on 082 469 2576 or Capt Van der Merwe on 082 469 2921 or Crimestop on 08600 10111.
