Eastern Cape man shot by intruders looking for alcohol

The nationwide ban on alcohol is proving to be damaging in some fronts, as a man in the Eastern Cape was shot twice by two other men, who had broken into his house looking for alcohol.

“It is alleged that at about 02:05, police attended to a complaint at a house in Ngqika Street, NU2, Motherwell where they were informed that while the complainant and his friend, aged 35-year-old were sleeping, two unknown males kicked opened the kitchen door and entered,” said SAPS spokesperson Priscilla Naidu.

Eastern Cape police open attempted murder case

The incident is believed to have occurred in Ikamvelihle on Sunday, 17 January 2021. The suspects are said to have demanded alcohol from the 54-year-old man. When he told them that there was no alcohol in the house, one of the perpetrators fired a shot at the victim however the firearm jammed and the suspects fled.

“A few minutes later, the suspects returned and once again demanded alcohol. They were again informed that there was no alcohol on the premises and this time two shots were fired, one hitting the complainant in the left shoulder. The suspects ran away,” Naidu further said.

Police in the Eastern Cape have since launched a manhunt for the suspects and have also opened a case of attempted murder.

Under Level 3 of the lockdown, the sale and on-site consumption of alcohol is banned. So far, government has not shown any signs of possibly relaxing some of the restrictions surrounding the alcohol ban, despite calls by the industry, which has expressed concern over the job losses spurred by the controversial restriction.

During his first address to the nation for the year 2021, President Cyril Ramaphosa left the alcohol ban in place, arguing that it has paid off, as hospitals reported fewer trauma cases, enabling them to further attend to the flood of COVID-19-related ailments.