Wakeel Dreyer was shot and killed in Mitchells Plain on Thursday.
- A Mitchells Plain teen was shot and killed Thursday afternoon.
- Wakeel Dreyer was due to pick up his matric results Friday at Beacon Hill High School.
- It is alleged that he was shot by gang members in the area.
Just hours before the release of its parent results, a teenager was shot dead in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, and a community activist claims gangsters are responsible for his murder.
Dozens of people gathered at the scene Thursday afternoon after a group of men in a vehicle pulled up at a candy store and shot the student, Wakeel Dreyer, 17 times.
Western Cape Police spokesman Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said police found the body of the 18-year-old student at the scene shortly after 4pm.
A murder case is under investigation.
“[He] suffered multiple bullet wounds to his body. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel. The unknown suspects fled the scene and have not yet been arrested. The motive for the attack has yet to be determined,” Swartbooi added.
Dreyer was due to get his results at Beacon Hill High School on Friday.
His mother, Lucinda Roberts, told News24 she was “heartbroken and numb” that her only son died in such a cruel way.
She said:
When I received the news that he had been killed, I immediately went to the scene and saw that his body was already covered.
“Then I said, ‘No, that’s not my son,’ hoping he would get out of the store. But then the sheet was pulled from his face and I started crying and screaming. How is this even possible? My son, my beautiful boy, has left this world so soon,” she said.
He added that he believed Dreyer was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“I have no answers as to why he was shot so many times, but I pray that whoever did this to my child is caught and justice is served. They took my only son, we had a whole day planned together for the publication of the results because it would have also been the send-off for him today at school,” said an emotional Roberts.
Roberts added that her son would always be remembered as the one person who made people smile.
She said:
The neighbors loved him; everyone knew him for how well educated he was. We had a typical mother-son bond, and all he wanted to do was succeed in life so we could live happily. He would tell me every day that he loves me, and now I will never hear those words again.
Resident and community activist Warda Cay claimed that the gang members had shot Dreyer.
“To stand there, seeing and feeling the pain of a mother as she looks at her son lying on the ground is the most horrible thing to witness. My heart is broken because I know that our justice system will not do anything because we live in a country without law”. said Gaius.
“Our children are killed [everyday], and it’s just another number added. He [number] of innocent children who are killed every day [is too much]. Now I’m a mess because when will my child be next? This [happened] right at our doorstep. She had her entire future ahead of her and was due to get her results today (Friday). This is very sad news. My heart bleeds for his family,” she added.
Dreyer’s close friend, Dora Jansen, told News24 that he was a loving person who always knew how to make people laugh.
“He was a people person, and everyone around him was always left smiling and laughing.
Dozens of people gathered at the scene where Wakeel was shot dead.
“I’m going to miss him so much, we were working on our relationship because, like every couple, we had our ups and downs, and just when we decided we were going to give our relationship another shot, this happened, and now I’m so sad,” Jansen added.
She added that her best friend contacted her to break the news.
“I went on Facebook and then I saw many posts from ‘RIP Wakeel’. Then I messaged my friend to ask if the news was true, but no one responded. So, I checked his (Wakeel’s) timeline and then I saw all the messages and my tears started to fall because I can’t believe it’s gone,” Jansen added.
She said she was too excited to go to the scene.
“I don’t want to remember him like this, lying on the ground in front of the store… I just couldn’t bring myself to go there. How do you say goodbye to someone you’ve known for so long?” How am I supposed to go on without the man I love so much?” Jansen said.
Preparations for Wakeel’s funeral are underway.
A memorial service will also be held in the area on Monday.
Police urge anyone with information about the incident to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
