Two security guards were shot dead in Philippi East on Thursday afternoon.
PHOTO: Darren Stewart, Gallo Images
- Two security guards were shot dead in Philippi East on Thursday afternoon.
- They were escorting City of Cape Town staff.
- Police said the security guards’ firearms were stolen.
Gunmen who shot and killed two security guards who were assisting with waste collection in Philippi East, Cape Town, on Thursday afternoon are still on the run.
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk, said the male guards, aged 30 and 34, were shot multiple times.
“Both were transported by their colleagues to a nearby medical facility where they were certified dead on arrival,” said Van Wyk.
Police said, according to reports, just after 14:30, police received a complaint of a shooting incident at the medical facility.
“On their arrival, they found a marked security vehicle with blood stains on the right rear door and blood on the front seats and steering wheel,” said Van Wyk.
He added that the motive was possibly armed robbery.
“The unknown suspects took both deceased’s firearms,” said Van Wyk.
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The City’s Urban Waste Management temporarily suspended its refuse collection services for the second time this year in the Philippi East area, following the shooting.
Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management (UWM) Grant Twigg said the withdrawal of services was due to the attack on private security contracted by the City to escort UWM staff and vehicles operating in the area.
“The City is alarmed by the reports of an attack on the crew collecting refuse in the area. This incident follows the extortion threats that saw contractors in the area pull out of service delivery earlier in the year.”
“Since then, the City has arranged for internal staff that normally operate in other areas to perform this service in Philippi East under security escort.
“UWM plans to engage with SAPS and the City’s Safety and Security Directorate to request their urgent assistance in dealing with criminal elements threatening our staff and contractors,” Twigg added.
He said one of the security guards was the vehicle’s driver while the other was a passenger.
Twigg said it could be a couple of weeks before they were able to reinstate proper waste collection service in the area.
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“On Friday, a meeting was held to discuss what the alternatives are to render the service, however, the teams are currently very traumatised, and we cannot expect them just to go back to work with new security,” said Twigg.
He said the City was considering various ways to ensure that they safely resumed services so service delivery continued.
“Discussions are on the table on how we can possibly get support from law enforcement agencies and private security involved so that we can continue to render the service to the residents. Once a decision has been made, it will be communicated to the affected area,” Twigg said.
The City said it had become a costly expense to hire security escorts to accompany the waste collectors.
Twigg said:
Normally, we don’t have security with our trucks that go and render the waste collection service, but now we had to get escort services, which is an additional cost to the City expenses.
He said that should the City require the services of law enforcement agencies, it could count as overtime and extra staff that are not normally deployed to do that work, which “would also get calculated at an additional cost”.
Twigg conveyed his condolences to the families of the two security guards who died.
Philippi East residents were urged to refrain from dumping uncollected waste and to watch the media and the City’s social media channels for further updates about clearing existing backlogs in the area or possible adjusted waste collection schedules.
Police said anyone with information on the killing should contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.