For the rest of her life, Cindy Joubert will have to live with the fact that her niece was shot dead while visiting her house.
A shooting in Ms Joubert’s yard in Perth Street, Eikendal, on Saturday November 5, claimed the life of Walisha Koopman, 24, and injured Ms Joubert’s cousin, whom the family have declined to identify.
Both Ms Koopman and Ms Joubert’s cousin had been visiting the Perth Street home when they were shot.
Two other people were also wounded when the two gunmen opened fire at 7.30pm, said police spokeswoman Constable Noloyiso Rwexana. The killers fled in a black VW Golf and are still at large. The motive for the shooting is unknown, said Constable Rwexana.
Ms Joubert is still in shock. She wasn’t at home when her niece and cousin were shot, but she said the tragedy would haunt her for the rest of her life.
“It has shocked the Eikendal community,” she said, describing her niece as “a beautiful soul”.
At least two residents, who did not want to be named, told Northern News the gunmen had been aiming for two known gangsters and Ms Koopman and Ms Joubert’s cousin had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The gunmen had injured one of their intended targets and missed the other, claimed the residents.
The wounded man lives nearby and had had his home petrol-bombed twice recently.
“The wrong people were hurt in all of this,” a resident said. “One guy who got shot is a known gangster.”
The “target” had just come out of jail, the resident said. “There was no change when he came out of jail.”
The resident said he had never spoken to Ms Koopman, but her smile told a story about her character.
The resident lamented that there was no neighbourhood watch in all of Eikendal, which is located between Scottsdene and Scottsville, two of the most dangerous communities in Kraaifontein.
Ms Koopman, who had just moved from Goodwood and had been studying at Northlink, lived with her family in Eighth Avenue in Eikendal.
Her family said they were too distraught to speak to the media.
