A respected Cape Town Moulana was gunned down outside a mosque in Mitchell’s Plain, on Wednesday night, 18 February, shortly after completing the first night of Taraweeh prayers as the holy month of Ramadan commenced, reports Cape {town} Etc.
According to police spokesperson Constable Ndakhe Gwala, Lentegeur police responded to reports of a shooting in Candytuft Street at approximately 10:55pm.
‘Upon arrival, they found the body of a 33-year-old male lying on the street,’ she said. ‘According to reports, the deceased was leaving the mosque at around 10:55pm, and he was gunned down by unknown men.’
The deceased has been identified by the Darul Ulama Association Western Cape as Moulana Mustaqeem Wanza, whose fatal shooting occurred on the very first night of Ramadan after he had led salatul taraweeh at Salamudien Masjid in New Lentegeur.
‘The Muslim community is indeed saddened by the senseless killing of Moulana Mustaqeem Wanza, a respected ‘Alum whose guidance and beautiful rendition of the Holy Qur’an with his melodious voice touched the hearts of Mulsims across the global spectrum,’ the association said in a heartfelt statement.
The Darul Ulama Association added that his voice, which ‘resounded in Masaajieds throughout the Western Cape and beyond, will be sorely missed,’ describing him as ‘an inspiration for many of our youth to pursue the path of the Qur’an.’
According to the statement, Wanza was leaving the mosque when a white Polo allegedly stopped and shots were fired. He was declared dead on the scene after sustaining eight gun shots.
Wanza was accompanied by two other men when exiting the mosque, both of whom were reported to have been shot and injured, and taken to hospital for treatment.
Several social media reports believe the incident may have been a targeted hit against one or two of the men accompanying Wanza. Police, however, confirmed that the motive for the shooting has yet to be determined, and remains under investigation at this stage.
The organisation urged the Muslim community to remain calm and avoid speculation: ‘We urge the Ummah to refrain from speculation, hearsay and the sharing of unverified information on social media but rather to honour his memory through Du’a and by supporting his grieving families.’
Police are appealing to anyone with information to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the MySAPS mobile application as investigations continue.
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Picture: Yusuf Abramjee / Facebook
