Lusikisiki mass shooting: Masemola says police determined to find 'these heartless criminals'

LUSIKISIKI - The police's top brass is on a fact-finding mission following the murders of 18 people in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape.

The victims were shot and killed in two separate homes located on the same street in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Days later, police have still not been able to determine the motive for the deadly attack.

ALSO READ:

- Assassinations in Lusikisiki 'a very common thing', says AmaMpondo royal family

- AmaMpondo Royal Family calls on govt to crack down on Lusikisiki crime scourge

- Lusikisiki mass shooting: Ramaphosa assures victims' families cops will bring killers to book

The police management is currently meeting with local authorities.

As police investigations into the Lusikisiki massacre continue, the police’s top brass has arrived in the province, as they seek to make a breakthrough in the massacre, which has shocked the country.

Police National Commissioner Fanie Masemola said: "We’ve done the scene, we are done with the crime scene. Our teams are out there with investigation, looking for these heartless criminals, and we are determined because we’ve got all the experts."

Masemola said he'd also deployed various expert police teams to properly probe this case.

"We’ve got serious and violent crimes investigators, ballistic experts, we have forensic experts that came out here, and everyone is busy with their field of work."

Police will meet with members of the community later to hear more about the various crime concerns in the area.

FIND THE PERPETRATORS DEAD OR ALIVE - MABUYANE

Meanwhile, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane wants the perpetrators of the Lusikisiki massacre found “dead or alive”.

He was also part of the authorities and police management that paid Lusikisiki a visit after the horrendous crime.

Mabuyane further conceded that crime has been a major concern in the area, adding that he never imagined that such an incident could take place, especially since its close to a police station. 

The premier said such perpetrators don't have place in society. 

“We want these people dead alive; we want them. Actually, I would prefer to get them dead because you get them in jail, they come back and continue. I call tell you it’s not a person who is killing for the first time, it is a person who has been killing and killing.”