Rocklands community unites in prayer for safety after tragic gang shooting

Community members and faith leaders in Rocklands held a prayer meeting following the killing of three family members, calling for safety and an end to ongoing gang violence on their streets.

The meeting comes after Zachariah “Zackie” Matthee, 9, his aunt, Cleo Bailey, 19, and his uncle, Moegsien “Moggie” Daniels, 26, were gunned down in Viscount Street on Tuesday evening, December 2.

Two men, 51 and 36, were also wounded and rushed to the hospital (“Community in shock as boy, woman, and man are gunned down in Rocklands,” Plainsman December 3).

Inshaaf Thesen, a relative of the victims from Rocklands, told the Plainsman on Thursday, December 11, during the prayer meeting, that the killings were linked to drug smuggling and turf conflicts in the area.

She said rival gangsters had made threats in the days leading up to the attack.

“They threatened the neighbouring homeowner over drugs and turf disputes, then warned something would happen. Gangsters were sent to my mother’s house, where drug activity was also happening. Both houses were caught up in turf wars and smuggling,” she said.

She described how the shooters entered the house and the wendy house during the attack. “Zackie was told he must hide himself in the cupboard. They opened fire through the doors, and the bullets went into the house and wendy house.”

Ms Thesen said she and her family heard the gunshots but could not immediately respond.

“We couldn’t go because we waited for the police van. Only then did we check if our family members were okay. We are very heartbroken, the whole community. Everybody looked after Zackie. I just want them to catch these people and for the police to do their work right.”

She described Cleo as quiet and polite, and Moegsien as kind-hearted and helpful in the community.

The family is now in the process of selling the house where the shooting took place, she said. It was unclear whether the victims owned the house where they were shot. 

“We're praying for this to end. We can’t anymore. We want them out. The smuggling must stop, our children's lives are in danger,” she said.

Valerie Moses, crime prevention controller for Rocklands Neighbourhood Watch, said the prayer meeting was held to call for safety in the area.

She clarified she was at home during the shooting, not at the scene. “Neighbourhood Watch hands are cut off, but police must step in. This must be shut down. We must make sure our people are safe."

Pastor Jessica Swartz, from the interdenominational church fraternal in Mitchell’s Plain, said the meeting aimed to call for an end to shootings and pray for gangsters to be removed from homes with ongoing criminal activity.

The Western Cape police launched an intensive manhunt following the attack. Preliminary reports indicate that four unidentified gunmen opened fire on the premises before entering the house and shooting the victims.

Western Cape provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile condemned the killings and said the Anti-Gang Unit is investigating.

Abie Isaacs, chairperson of the Cape Flats Safety Forum, condemned the killings. “This house has been targeted for gun-related attacks multiple times. It’s allegedly City-owned, raising safety concerns. It should be verified and closed to prevent further tragedy,” he said.

Rocklands resident Veronica Bothma said residents want peace to return. “They must go, and this place must come down. We want to live in peace. We had peace before,” she said.