8 shot dead in S. African Cape Town in 24 hours
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E-mail Xinhua, July 7, 2019
Eight people were shot dead in Cape Town over the past 24 hours in what was believed to be gang-related violence, police said on Saturday.
The victims included six women aged between 18 and 26 who were shot and killed on Friday night in Philippi East, where gang violence is rampant, police spokesperson FC Van Wyk said.
On Saturday morning, two more people - a 23-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman, were shot dead in nearby Hanover Park, Van Wyk said.
Police have launched a manhunt for suspects responsible for the killings but so far no arrests have been made, said Van Wyk.
The motive for the murders is unknown at this stage, he said.
"A double murder case was registered for investigation," Van Wyk added.
The killings came less than a week before Police Minister Bheki Cele visited Cape Town to address gang-violence that has plagued several communities around the legislative capital of South Africa.
The city has been ravaged by gangs for a long time. Every year, dozens of people are killed in gang violence, prompting local authorities to call on the national government to send army troops to quell gangs.
Late last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa launched an anti-gang unit in Cape Town to quell rising gang violence in the city.
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