Durban — Six men killed in a mass shooting in uMlazi township on Saturday night were described as peaceful individuals with no involvement in criminal activities.
Relatives of the deceased, killed at an informal settlement in uMlazi’s Section V6, south of Durban, said they cannot fathom why their loved ones were killed in such a brutal manner.
This comes after police in the province launched a massive manhunt for the suspects who shot and killed Khaliphile Ntobela, Innocent Mazeka, Yamkela Mzekeli, Mlungisi Langa, Dumisani Khumalo and Snoh Ngcobo.
Spokesperson for the SAPS in KwaZulu-Natal, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said reports indicated that three men were seated outside their rented accommodation consuming alcohol when unknown suspects arrived and opened fire on them.
“The suspects proceeded to the landlord’s house where they shot him and another man who was also inside the house. The suspects also shot another man on the pathway.
“All six victims, aged between 20 and 40, were declared dead on the scene.
“The motive for the killings is unknown at this stage. Police are appealing to anyone who might have information regarding the incident and possible whereabouts of the suspects to contact their nearest police station or call Crime Stop on 08600 10111,” he said.
An eye-witness, who requested anonymity due to fear of victimisation, said the suspects had come earlier under the false pretence of wanting to buy cigarettes, before returning later. One victim was shot on the pathway as he was making his way to the premises.
The suspects then allegedly entered the yard and fired shots at three of the other victims, who were seated outside.
“Another male came out of the house to see what was happening but was also met with gunfire. He tried to run into the bedroom of one of the other victims but the suspects followed and shot him. They also shot and killed a sixth victim who was sleeping in his bed,” said the witness.
A relative of one of the deceased, who also requested anonymity, said they were gutted by the attack, and lamented the lack of adequate policing in the area.
“We live in absolutely terrible times. The problem with this country is that the leadership itself is very corrupt so nothing decent could be achieved in that setting.
“If it were up to me, I would allow the public to take the law into their own hands because we are in this very situation due to the lack of proper leadership and a poor justice system. Something really needs to be done and the police really need to do something about these guns,” said the relative.
The person said they were not aware of any valid reason why the mass killings happened, adding that the victims, who were from Bizana in the Eastern Cape, and Harding in KwaZulu-Natal, were not known to have any enemies.
The deceased are said to have been in the province for more than five years for work-related purposes. They were described as a calm and loving bunch, whose lives revolved around their work.
Violence monitor Mary de Haas said the mass killings were an indication of a lack of adequate policing and that crime intelligence was not functioning properly.
“It should pick up the presence of people who have the type of guns that can be used to mow people down and threaten the police, as they say, it has been happening, when they have retaliated. It is definitely a problem with policing.”
De Haas said the police were making too many arrests without gathering sufficient evidence beforehand. She said that many cases involving these arrests did not progress due to lack of evidence, often leading to the cases being dismissed in court and wasting the court's time.
She said prosecutors should assist the police by overseeing their investigations and encouraging them to gather evidence first, prior to charging suspects.
De Haas also called for better training for prosecutors, adding that there was also an issue of corruption among them.
She said it was also important to establish the source of the guns.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident, a police sergeant is among three suspected armed robbers who were shot and killed in a shoot-out with police in two separate shooting incidents in Ntuzuma on Sunday.
Last week, various Community Policing Forum members lamented the R10 million budget cut for the Department of Community Safety and Liaison, saying it could have negative implications for fighting crime in the province.
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