By Lungani Zungu
Four people have been gunned down in a suspected gang-related incident in the notorious KwaMashu Hostel in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday.
The four victims died after they were shot inside a shack that is also said to be a shebeen, while another five are fighting for survival in a hospital.
The police are now hunting 20 “armed and dangerous” rifle-wielding suspects who were behind the gruesome killing.
The identities of the victims have been withheld until their families have positively identified their bodies.
A local community leader, Thabani Sibisi, told Scrolla.Africa that they have been warning the local police of the warring gangs.
“We have been telling the police for many months that gangs are killing each other in the hostel, but nothing has been done to stop the killings. We don’t know why these people are fighting,” said Sibisi.
In a separate incident, two people were gunned down in the hostel over the weekend.
Sibisi said the local police could not deal with the gang wars in the KwaMashu Hostel.
“We held a meeting with the police where we told them that the police are incapacitated to deal with the criminals in the area. We have been proven right many times – including today’s incident,” he said.
A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said the gunshots still echoed in their ears.
“The people who did this passed right in front of my door. The next thing I heard was repeated gunshots and people pleading for mercy,” said the neighbour.
The neighbour said all the suspects were armed with rifles.
Vusi Zweni, the chairperson of the Ubunye bamaHostela, an organisation that fought for the unity of hostel dwellers, said he was devastated by the killings.
“It is like we take three steps and five steps backwards. We have been trying to forge unity in the KwaMashu hostel, but all our efforts are not paying off. Four people were killed on Wednesday. We are devastated, but we will continue to fight for peace to prevail in the hostels,” said Zweni.
“We know that some people are fighting against each other here, but we don’t know why. Let us allow the police to investigate and get to the bottom of this,” said Zweni.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda said the police were still investigating the circumstances around the incident.
Pictured above: Cops cordon off KwaMashu Hostel following the killing of four people on Wednesday
Picture source: Supplied
