Lungani Zungu
A Glebelands hostel dweller was gunned down on Sunday, triggering renewed fears among residents that the killings at the notorious hostel have started again.
Sthembiso Mkhize, 46, a former peace committee member at the hostel was shot dead in front of his two children while watching the Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns game on Sunday.
A resident, Thabo Msimango, said he heard gunshots but continued watching soccer in his room, not far from Mkhize’s room.
“I was later told that Mkhize had been killed,” he said.
The arrest of eight alleged hitmen, dubbed “the Glebelands Eight” since 2018 brought much relief to the thousands of Glebelands residents in Umlazi, south of Durban.
But now, many fear that Mkhize’s murder might trigger violence as he is a well-known person in the hostel.
“His people may want revenge for his death by killing people they think may have had a hand in the murder,” said a resident.
Mkhize is said to have been a known enemy of former detective Bhekukwazi Mdweshu, who faced charges ranging from murder, extortion to corruption relating to violence and killings in Glebelands.
More than 150 Glebelands residents have been murdered since 2015.
Vanessa Burger, an Independent Community Activist for Human Rights and Social Justice, said the murder was sparked by the scramble for extortion money.
Many residents at the hostel, which houses more than 25,000 people, were forced to pay extortion by some rogue thugs in return for protection from the hitmen.
The amount could be anything between R100 to R500, and sometimes even more, residents told Scrolla.Africa.
“It seems the people in the crowded hostel may never be free from this cycle of violence,” said Burger, who has followed the Glebelands killings for years.
“There is almost no hope of escape without real social and economic transformation grounded in political will and backed by sound governance and the rule of law.”
Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said police were investigating a case of murder, which was opened at Umlazi police station.
“The motive for the attack is unknown,” she said.
Image source: @CityPress
