Homes of 'drug dealers' torched after murder of Cape Town girl, 7

Five properties, allegedly belonging to drug dealers, were set alight in Ocean View, Cape Town, early on Thursday.

Community members, some of them members of People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (Pagad), marched through the streets after the murder of seven-year-old Emaan Solomons in gang crossfire on Tuesday.

On Sunday, community members marched through the suburb warning gang bosses to stop what residents said had been a year of ceaseless violence.

Residents told TimesLIVE on Wednesday the community had reached breaking point and warned that soon houses belonging to drug dealers would be set alight.

City of Cape Town fire and rescue service spokesperson Jermain Carelse said the first emergency call was received at 1.25am on Thursday. Police escorted firefighters to the scene of a fire at a home in Apollo Way.

“A double-storey dwelling was completely destroyed and the fire was extinguished at 3.11am,” said Carelse.

“While firefighters were at this incident, reports came in of another dwelling in Scorpio Way that was alight and the fire crew from Simon's Town responded. That dwelling was also totally destroyed and the fire extinguished at 3.05am.

“Reports of two other dwellings alight in Alpha Way were confirmed by SAPS, but the fire and rescue service were advised by the South African Police Service not to enter as the area was extremely volatile."