The statement said that an eight-year-old boy was shot in the chest and killed, while the other child, a twelve-year-old girl, was injured and taken to a nearby medical facility for treatment.

Fritz has expressed his condolences with the family of the deceased and has sent well wishes for the speedy recovery of the young girl.

The police say a case of murder and of attempted murder have been opened for an investigation, which is in progress.

“The destruction of public property and the endangering of lives is to be condemned in the strongest terms.  Protest action which is violent and unlawful is unacceptable. I call for immediate calm and stabilisation within the affected community. 

"I have further written to the National Commissioner, Khehla Sitole, requesting that an intelligence report be conducted on the spate of land invasions in the province and requested feedback on the allocation of additional Public Order Police (POPS) to the Western Cape,” Fritz said.

“I have been informed by the City of Cape Town that fire was opened using live ammunition on officers during an operation in Elsies River this morning. The officers did not return fire as the shots came from a crowd of people, but sought cover instead. 

"It later emerged that two children were hit by stray bullets. The gunman was identified by the crowd but fled the scene. The matter is being investigated by the SAPS,” the MEC said.

“I further wish to condemn in the strongest sense the reported attacks on emergency service (EMS) vehicles that we have seen in past weeks. These attacks ultimately delay service delivery as EMS vehicles increasingly require police escorts and security services to attend to requests.

"This puts the lives of our most vulnerable people in society at further risk. We are not a lawless society. Anyone with information that can assist SAPS in their investigation must come forward and report those who wish to undermine peace and stability of our communities," he said. 

The investigating officer in the matter is detective warrant officer Carmen Prins who can be contacted at 060 582 8496 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.

African News Agency