Lungi Langa
Handyman Sabelo Ngwenya was on his way to work on 13 July 2021 when he was shot and killed allegedly by a police officer.
Exactly a year later, no one has been arrested or been held accountable for his death.
Sabelo is one of the 354 people who were killed during the July unrest in KZN that lasted for eight days.
His mother Ntombilezi Ndlovu from Lindelani, Ntuzuma said their lives were turned upside down when her 28-year-old son was shot and she will not rest until she gets justice for her son’s murder.
“My son was the one taking care of the family financially. I could no longer do the odd jobs I did like doing people’s laundry and cleaning houses as I did to raise them. Ever since his passing we have been struggling,” says Nolovu.
The family now survives on the younger kids’ Sassa grants.
“It’s not enough and my son knew that. He helped the family financially and not once did he complain. Whoever killed him is responsible for my family’s poverty,” she added.
Before Sabelo left for work that day he had promised to buy his mother therapeutic shoes.
“I had just been released from the hospital after having my uterus removed due to signs of cancer,” she said.
He had lent me his sandals but they were uncomfortable. He promised to buy me the most expensive ones. An hour later I received a phone call informing me that he had been shot and killed,” said Nolovu.
She said the people who had given her son a lift and were with him told her they had been stopped by people claiming to be Metro Police. They were not in uniform but in a marked Metro Police vehicle.
“The people said one of the two Indian men who claimed to be cops shot him after he asked why they were being told to get out of their vehicle. They said one shot was fired and he cried once and then he was gone. When we arrived at the scene we found him dead.” said the mother.
She said they keep waiting to hear that someone has been arrested.
Police Minister Bheki Cele said the police and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) had arrested at least 5,000 people and more than 3,300 cases have been finalised thus far through non-prosecution, with some cases being withdrawn in court or before court.
