Police blamed for late response to Inchanga killing

The devastation after houses were burned in Ward 4 Harari, Inchanga. Left unchecked, the tragic recent events of Inchanga have the potential for a return to the low-intensity warfare of the late 1980s and early 1990s, says the writer. Picture: Motshwari Mofokeng

The devastation after houses were burned in Ward 4 Harari, Inchanga. Left unchecked, the tragic recent events of Inchanga have the potential for a return to the low-intensity warfare of the late 1980s and early 1990s, says the writer. Picture: Motshwari Mofokeng

Published Aug 26, 2016

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Durban - The police have been lambasted on Friday, for their slow reaction to the events that unfolded in Inchanga and led to the slaying of an African National Congress member.

The party's regional secretary Bheki Ntuli, speaking on Friday at a memorial service for Xolani Ngcobo who was killed in protests following the execution-style shooting of an SA Communist Party member, said that he would be approaching the province's Safety and Security MEC Mxolisi Kaunda to have the police officers at the Inchanga police station replaced.

Asked afterwards why he wanted the officers removed, he said: “The response from the SAPS is not convincing. They are supposed to be here as early as possible when the incident took place.”

“But they took far too long a time to come. And then when they were here, they didn't help in any way to assist the family. And the people that were suspected were still around, but the police didn't do anything to ensure that the culprits are arrested.”

About 300 African National Congress supporters packed out the Michael Gwala Hall in Inchanga amid a heavy police presence for the memorial service.

Several speakers addressed the crowd, including Ntuli, with the recurrent theme being that unity was needed in Ward 4. There was a heavy presence of eThekwini Metro Police and units from SA Police Service.

The ward has been divided between members of the ANC and South African Communist Party (SACP) ever since the nomination for candidates to stand in the local government elections started last year. Earlier this year two people, including Philip Dlamini, were killed in the dispute.

Since then tensions have been high despite the visits of several high ranking SACP and ANC members to the area who have tried to heal the rift. SACP members claim they were blocked from participating in the branch nominations.

In the August 3, local government elections Petrus Nxumalo, an SACP member, stood as an independent and won the ward. Last Sunday evening, SACP member Nontsikelelo Blose, a witness to Dlamini's killing in January, was shot dead outside a Fredville tavern. The resulted in the rampage with several houses being torched and Ngcobo being killed on Monday. Blose's funeral is set to take place on Sunday.

African News Agency

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