Johannesburg - Four members of a family were shot and killed execution style while a fifth was injured in what is thought to be a drug-related killing in Lawley, south-west Joburg, on Saturday night.
The family were ambushed at their home by a gang of five people at around 8pm. It appears nothing was taken and police recovered R100 000 in cash from the scene.
Those murdered were Hlengiwe Mkhize, 40, her daughter Samkelisiwe Mkhize-Dlamini, 19, son Siyabonga Mkhize-Dlamini, 21, and his wife Gwen Mncube, 19.
Mkhize's husband, Bongani Dlamini, 47, survived the attack and was discharged from Baragwanath Hospital on Sunday after being treated for gunshot wounds to his right arm.
It was revealed on Sunday there had been two other attempts on Siyabonga's life recently.
By Sundayafternoon, Hawks boss Berning Ntlemeza had visited the family and promised them they would find the killers.
A statement sent by police spokesman Constable Vincent Mashiteng said "a bag containing drugs and an unknown amount of cash was found (in the) house".
However, both Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Noxolo Kweza and Ntlemeza denied that drugs had been found.
Ntlemeza said: "I got information about the male deceased (Siyabonga), that there were two attempts (on his life); this one was the third one. So I'm not going to talk about issues of drugs and issues of money that was found here. What is serious to me (is that) four people have been killed."
While police maintained they did not know what the motive was for the attack, family members believed it was jealousy over Siyabonga's meat business.
This was the third attack on him in as many months. He was in hospital for almost two weeks after the second and had been discharged on Tuesday.
Distraught family members and friends gathered to comfort one another on Sunday afternoon, many sitting in shocked silence.
They said Siyabonga had been the sole breadwinner in the family and were unaware of allegations that police had seized drugs from his room.
However, they said R100 000 and five cellphones had been taken by the police.
One of Mkhize's sisters, Nonhlanhla, said: "The gang didn't take anything. The police broke into (Siyabonga's) house (in the backyard) and took R100 000 and cellphones. They took money from this (main) house too."
Dlamini appeared shaken as he relayed what had happened the previous evening.
"I was right here making coffee," he said in Zulu, pointing to the kitchen.
"When I was there, my daughter (Samkelisiwe), said there are people here who want to kill us," he said.
Dlamini tussled with the intruders. They allegedly shot him five times and chased him when he managed to escape from the house.
"While I was running, I fell. They thought I was dead and they ran back to the house and just killed... everybody. I just went blank. I didn't know what to do or say," he said.
Three young children -Dlamini's youngest, aged 3, and his two infant grandchildren - were in the house at the time of the attack but were unharmed.
In a final show of cruelty, the grandchildren were placed on their dead mother Gwen's chest by the gangsters.
Captain Mavela Masondo said four counts of murder and one of attempted murder had been opened.
Ntlemeza refused to say why the case had been taken over by the Hawks.
"As you are aware, (in) every serious case, the Hawks must be involved.
"It's a very serious case, because four people have been murdered," he said.
As Mkhize's sister, Thobile, sat crying on a mattress on the floor, a devastated Dlamini said: "I'm in pain. I'm heartbroken. If only they could've just killed me as well."
@Gabi_Falanga
The Star