Families of Orange Farm shooting victims recover from fatal incident - SABC News

The family of five of the seven people who were shot and killed in the Orange Farm tragedy say they are struggling to forgive the perpetrator. The family members were shot dead in the early hours of Sunday. The incident was reportedly triggered by a fight that ensued between a tavern owner and a male customer.

The family was holding a lobola ceremony when one of the visitors allegedly exchanged words with a tavern owner. The tavern owner allegedly followed the customer and, upon arrival, fired shots randomly and killed seven people, including a three-year-old child.

“Even when we tried to sleep, we couldn’t. I still see this man who shot people while I watched. Every time I close my eyes, I still see them all lying there, helpless. Even the bullet holes in the cabin, all I see is him. I hate him, I don’t want to lie, I hate him”, says family member Lorraine Maisha.

The tavern owner later turned the gun on himself. Church leaders in Orange Farm call for a gun-free society.

“We have a serious issue about guns killing people. The fee is high. Last week in one of our congregations there was a funeral for one of our members. It was night when he went to the gate to lock it, then someone came and shot him,” said Reverend Sello Motsiri of the United Reformed Church of South Africa.

Meanwhile, the Dalibhunga community is calling for strict regulations on taverns in the area.

“As a community, we are shocked because this is something we only see on TV. And this is not right because it affected many people, not only the families of the victims, but the community in general. In terms of taverns, reducing opening hours I think would help because currently people sit and drink until 3 am”, says one of the community members.

Although the Dalibhunga community describes the alleged perpetrator as someone who did not feel remorse, his neighbors in Lakeside, where he lives, about five kilometers from the crime scene, say they did not know that he was a violent person.

“I heard the gun go off while I was sleeping. I was scared. At first I thought it was at the gas station because every now and then they get robbed. But 20 minutes later I started hearing cars. When I went to investigate, I realized it was the police. For my part, I know him as a good person, who loved people. He even gave me piecework,” says a neighbor.