On Saturday, four people were shot and partially burned during a quarrel between a community patroller and a group of individuals in Soshanguve.

Police arrived at 6am and found four bodies with gunshot wounds, while eight others were hospitalised.

According to the cops, preliminary investigations suggest that at 3am, a group of patrollers encountered five people on the street, leading to the deadly altercation.

The motive is still under investigation.

Lesufi has confirmed that one of the eight patrollers who was currently in hospital has died, raising the death toll to five.

“Police have updated the number of deaths, unfortunately, the list has risen to five. The fifth one died from injuries in hospital," he said.

Lesufi explained that the men and women in blue are working hard to find the perpetrators and disclosed that the incident is suspected to be linked to an extortion scheme and fighting for control over the businesses.

“I have got detailed information, including people who are in prison, but they are still coordinating activities outside prison, with the ringleaders overseeing the operations in this community,” he said.

One of the locals, who spoke to IOL News anonymously for safety reasons, said residents pay R350 for illegal supply of electricity, R50 for water and another R50 for night patrollers to ensure their safety.

The man, who said he has been residing in the area since 2012, claimed the driving force behind the murders is the competition over control of these money-making services.

“I think the cause of these brutal murders is the fight for control over these businesses, because they make a lot of money. The people that they work for, as the residents, we don't know them,” he said.

“Each shack pays for those three services.”

Although residents pay R50 per month for the night patrollers, the man clarified that the payment is a voluntary donation for protection, claiming the Soshanguve police station is failing to provide safety to the locals.

“They come at the end of every month asking for donations, and we give them R50, because they are protecting us. The police are failing to do so, and crime is rampant here at night…”

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