Gunmen chasing alleged gangster kill mother and neighbour in their own yard

A two-week-old baby has been left without her mother after gunmen allegedly chasing a gangster stormed onto a property in Cafda and shot dead two people who were not their intended target.

Eva Lakay, 45, and Nazeer Williams, 31, were killed in Ensor Street at approximately 9.30am on Friday. The alleged target reportedly escaped unharmed after running onto the property in an attempt to evade the gunmen.

The two victims were not related, but rented separate accommodation on the same property and knew each other. Witnesses said the suspects got out of their vehicle and opened fire, killing Lakay near the gate and Williams in the yard.

Both victims were declared dead at the scene.

[do_widget id=super_rss_reader-3] –> –> According to relatives, Lakay had gone outside after hearing gunshots to call her son, who was playing outside. She was then caught in the shooting.

The deaths have left a newborn without her mother and two families grieving the loss of loved ones in a shooting that allegedly began as a pursuit of another man.

Provincial police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed that Steenberg police were investigating the double murder.

“Steenberg police responded to a complaint of a shooting on Friday morning, 09 October 2026, at about 09:30, in Ensor Street, Cafda. Upon arrival at the scene, they found a male and female who had sustained gunshot wounds.

“Both victims were declared deceased at the scene by medical personnel. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation and no arrests have been made yet.

“Steenberg detectives are investigating two counts of murder.”

Police have not confirmed the identity of the alleged target or said whether the shooting was linked to a particular gang conflict. No arrests had been made at the latest update.

The suspects’ vehicle, the number of gunmen and the weapons used have not been disclosed. Detectives are expected to gather statements from witnesses and relatives and examine the scene for evidence as they work to establish what led to the shooting.

Williams remembered as loving and generous

Williams’s mother said she had been lying in bed when her son left the house to buy sugar so they could make coffee. She then heard the gunfire.

“I was lying in bed when I heard all those shots. We found his body lying next to the bakkie. I am heartbroken because I only had two children and he was my only son. Now my son is gone.

“This is a terrible feeling. He bothered nobody. The justice system is failing us every day. Those murderers get to walk away, but I will never get my son back.”

His sister described Williams as a loving and cheerful man who adored children. She said the family was struggling to understand how he had been killed while going about an ordinary morning.

“For the type of person he was, he did not deserve to die like this. He was loving and jolly. He loved children, our family’s children and even the children in the street.

“We are in disbelief. I was at work. I was chatting to my mother at 9.15am, as usual, and fifteen minutes later, at 9.30am, I got the message to say that Nazeer was shot. When I arrived at the scene, I was not aware that Eva was also shot. It is heartbreaking because now her baby has to grow up without a mother.”

Williams’s nephew also paid tribute to him, describing him as a “one in a million uncle”.

The family said Williams was not involved in any dispute known to them and had been carrying out an ordinary errand when the shooting occurred.

Mother killed while checking on her child

Lakay’s relatives said she had stepped outside after hearing the gunshots. Her son was playing outside, and she reportedly went to call him.

The shooting unfolded near the entrance to the property, where Lakay was fatally wounded. Williams was shot in the yard, according to witnesses.

The two victims lived on the same property but in separate rented accommodation. Their deaths have raised concerns about the danger posed to residents when armed suspects pursue people through neighbourhoods and onto private properties.

The baby, who was only two weeks old, is now being cared for by relatives. The family has not provided further details about the child or funeral arrangements.

Steenberg detectives are investigating two counts of murder. Police have appealed to anyone who witnessed the shooting, saw the suspects or has information about the vehicle used in the attack to come forward.

Investigators will need to establish whether the alleged target was known to the victims, whether the gunmen deliberately entered the property and what happened before and after the attack. They will also seek to determine whether the shooting forms part of a wider gang-related conflict.

At this stage, the account that the gunmen were chasing an alleged gang member comes from witnesses and has not been confirmed in the police statement. Police have also not said whether the alleged target has been identified or interviewed.

No arrests have been made. The investigation remains active as detectives work to identify the gunmen and determine why Lakay and Williams were killed.

For two grieving families, the consequences are already devastating: a mother has been taken from a newborn child, and a son, brother, uncle and neighbour has been lost in a burst of violence that witnesses say was aimed at someone else.

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