Lieutenant-Colonel Andrè Traut says that the possibility of it being gang-related cannot be ruled out.

A brutal slaying rocked the Cape Town suburb of Kenilworth on Saturday evening when gunmen opened fire on a vehicle parked at the Caltex garage near Don Caster Road.

CCTV footage, obtained from the scene of the shooting, quickly spread like wildfire on social media. The vehicle, a dark-blue BMW, and its driver, were peppered with bullets from at least two handguns. While it’s unclear just how many gunshot wounds were sustained by the victim, upwards of 15 shots were fired into the vehicle in quick succession.

Kenilworth shooting: Suspects have been arrested

The brutality of the shooting was exemplified by footage showing one of the gunmen reaching into the vehicle and firing the last rounds at close range. The brazen execution had all the hallmarks of a gangland slaying.

Police spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Andrè Traut, says that the possibility of it being gang-related cannot be ruled out. The suspects fled the scene of the crime in a hijacked Toyota Avanza and were instantly pursued by law enforcement officials. The high-speed chase weaved through the suburbs and eventually came to a halt near Goodwood. Traut explained that four suspects were arrested following a brief shootout with police, saying:

“The high-speed pursuit where shots were exchanged between police and the suspects ended in Jakes Gerwel Drive in Goodwood where the men, aged 20, 25, 29, and 35, were arrested.”

Police recovered two unlicensed 9mm firearms – which are believed to be the murder weapons – along with the getaway vehicle which had been stolen in Kleinvlei. Law enforcement have not released any further details relating to the murder.

The Bokmakierie connection

Social media sleuths, however, quickly put pieces of the puzzle together, identifying the alleged victim as Ibrahim ‘Heimma’ Ishmail, a 46-year-old man from Bokmakierie in Athlone. It’s alleged that Ishmail was a leader of the Hard Livings (HL) gang which operates in Bokmakierie and that his killing was an act of underworld retaliation.

On 15 March, a deadly gang-related shooting erupted outside a mosque in Bokmakierie. The midday slaying left one 38-year-old man dead and another bystander injured. The deceased was identified as Fiekie ‘Viking’ – leader of the local Viking gang which has been embroiled in a fierce turf war with the Hard Livings. Fiekie was a close associate of Perlemoen kingpin, Russel Jacobs, who was gunned down in Blue Downs in 2017.

It’s been alleged that Ishmail, who has been pictured with notorious gangland figure and ‘former’ HL leader, Rashied Staggie, ordered the hit on Fiekie. If these claims are true, it lends credence to the theory that the brutal Kenilworth shooting was an act of revenge in an ever-intensifying gang war centred on control of the lucrative drug trade.

Ishmail’s alleged killers will face charges of murder, attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, and possession of a hijacked vehicle. Traut has confirmed that investigations are still underway.

(Source: The South African)