Houses in Ocean View torched 'in retaliation for death of Emaan Solomons'

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Cape Town – Houses that caught fire in Ocean View overnight have been linked to retaliation over the death of gang-crossfire victim Emaan Solomons. The 7-year-old Emaan is being buried on Thursday after she was killed by a stray bullet on Tuesday, which has further enraged a community already at a tipping point. Drug dealers and gangsters were in the spotlight on Sunday when Ocean View residents marched through the streets, warning that the constant shooting needed to come to an end or they would take matters into their own hands. A video of a house torching posted by Western Cape Gangwatch on Facebook today was captioned: "Community torch house in Ocean View in retaliation for the shooting of a 7-year-old girl. Angry community members attacking gangsters and alleged drug houses." The City of Cape Town on Thursday confirmed that a double-storey house caught alight as well as another dwelling.

When reports came in of other houses ablaze, the fire service was warned not to enter as the area was extremely volatile.

"At about 01:25 this morning, the City's Fire and Rescue Service received an emergency call of a dwelling alight in Apollo Way, Ocean View."

"Kommetjie Road and Fish Hoek fire crews were dispatched. They were escorted to the incident and found a double-storey dwelling well alight. The fire was extinguished at 03:31.

"Whilst they were there, reports of a second dwelling on fire in Scorpio Road was reported. Simons Town's crew responded under police escort as well. This dwelling was also totally destroyed by the fire.

"Further reports of dwelling fires in Alpha Street was reported, but the Fire Service was informed by the South African Police Service not to enter as the area was extremely volatile," a Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said.

According to community member Paul Franke, the recent violence started after his cousin, Lincoln Jacobs, was killed during load shedding in the area.

This was allegedly prompted by one of the men arrested being released from prison the day before after serving a murder sentence, Franke said.

At the beginning of the month, a witness in the murder and torching of surfer David Wolfromm near Kommetjie last year, Jocelyn Claasen, 27, who was days from giving birth, was murdered.

“They are constantly shooting, especially when it's load shedding. The people are walking openly in the streets with guns.

"There's a shortage of cops and a shortage of vehicles,” said Franke.

7-year-old Emaan Solomons was killed in Ocean View on Tuesday night while President Ramaphosa assured Elsies River residents that gov was doing its best to end child murders. Too few police, too many drug dealers say residents. #TazneVanWyk #EmaanSolomons pic.twitter.com/WTdvOswPET — Aron Hyman (@aron_hyman) February 26, 2020

Cape Times