Mandla Mandela asks for unity against crime in wake of Omar murder

11 August 2017 - 12:18 By Staff Reporter
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Mandla Mandela. File photo.
Mandla Mandela. File photo.
Image: SIMPHIWE NKWALI/Sunday Times

"It is surely time to rise up in protest and express our indignation at this and other tragedies‚" MP and chief Mandla Mandela said on Friday‚ as he sent condolences to the family of Shaheed Omar‚ the son of Dr Adam Omar and nephew of anti-apartheid activist Dullah Omar.

Shaheed Omar‚ 43‚ was driving with his mother Zubeida Omar when he was shot in Lansdowne‚ Cape Town‚ around 8.30pm on Thursday night.

His aunt and younger sister of the former minister of justice‚ Mariam Omar‚ told TimesLIVE that the family did not know the motive for the killing and described it as “absolutely senseless”.

“We are all shocked and can’t believe what has happened. We are trying to come to grips with the situation but it is very difficult‚” Omar said.

“It’s absolutely senseless. They didn’t take anything [and] he offered them the car and whatever they wanted‚ but they didn’t take anything. They just shot him and then left. Fortunately his mother was unharmed.”

Mandela said in a statement the murder "deprives parents of a son‚ siblings of a brother‚ a family of a breadwinner and a community of a pillar of strength."

"The killing fields of Cape Town are cause for great concern.

"We call on the South African Police Services to work together with their provincial and local government counterparts‚ and community safety structures‚ to devise a sustainable strategy to stop innocent civilians from losing their lives in such a senseless and callous manner. The National Prosecuting Authority also has an important contribution to make. As do the people – all of us – for whom it is surely time to rise up in protest and express our indignation at this and other tragedies."

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