Enraged residents of uMlazi’s G section, south-west of Durban, went on the rampage yesterday, torching three houses of people believed to be linked to the murder of a family of five at the weekend.
They first set alight the home of a man who was earlier shot dead by police at the scene of the murders, dispersing only when police arrived and came to the rescue of the deceased’s parents.
This came just a day after the deceased and his two accomplices allegedly shot dead Zithulele Mzila, 33, Lungisani, 25, Hlengiwe, 30, and their mother Sibongile, 69. Hlengiwe and another woman, who survived the shooting, were also raped.
Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said: “uMlazi SAPS members, together with members of the Durban Flying Squad, quickly responded to the scene while the suspects were still inside the house. Two suspects managed to flee on foot while the other fired shots at the police.”
He said police returned fire, killing the suspect.
A 9mm pistol believed to have been used in the murder of the family members was found next to the deceased.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased suspect was arrested in November last year for possession of an unlicensed firearm in the uMlazi area,” said Mbele.
Before robbing and opening fire on the Mzilas, the gang had allegedly shot and injured eight people at a nearby tavern after robbing them of their cellphones and money in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The injured, aged between 20 and 50, were taken to hospital.
The seething frustration at being “terrorised” boiled over as community members marched from house to house. They were eventually dispersed by police firing stun grenades.
Speaking for the Mzila family, Siphiwe Shozi said while they sincerely appreciated the support from the community, they did not agree with mob justice.
“The community have been so supportive; they cleaned up all the blood, as none of the family had the strength to do it. They have shown us tremendous support but we cannot condone them taking the law into their own hands.”
Shozi said they commended police for their presence in the area and speedy response on the night of the shootings.
“Had the police not arrived as quickly as they did, even though the damage had been done in our home, more people would have lost their lives as we believe these boys were on a shooting spree.”
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Community Safety and Liaison Mxolisi Kaunda called the shootings a barbaric act and advised those responsible to hand themselves over to the police before they were rounded up.
“Once again, the availability of illegal firearms has reared its ugly head with sorrowful consequences. We are doing all we can to have these weapons removed from our communities. We urge all our people to work with the police to ensure that his happens soonest,” said Kaunda.
Earlier this month, four members of the Chiliza family, including an 11-year-old, were killed in their sleep in their rondavel at Richmond in the Midlands.
That same weekend, three Mkhize cousins were ambushed near their home in Matimatolo near Greytown.
Last month, six people were gunned down in the Kubheka home in Georgedale, Hammars- dale. The shooting was believed to be linked to rivalry over the selling of the drug whoonga.
The motives for each of these family killings are unknown.
KZN violence monitor Mary de Haas said the murders were symptoms of lawlessness but she could not work out what was going on. “The dynamics in these areas are very different, but one thing for sure is that there are just too many guns floating around. It’s just random terrorism,” she said.