By Nompumelelo Magwaza
Friends of the 15-year-old boy who was shot dead by police in Empangeni a week ago are still in shock - and they are adamant that their friend did not own the firearm that police said he had brandished on the night of the shooting.
However, police insist that a gun was found. They said that circumstances surrounding the shooting were being investigated by the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD).
Kwazi Ndlovu was killed during a police hunt for a dangerous prison escaper in his home in Esikhawini, near Empangeni.
According to the police, Sibusiso Thili Mzimela was one of six prisoners who were still on the run.
On Tuesday, five of Kwazi's friends gathered at his home to express their shock at the way their friend was killed.
"It is impossible that he had a gun; we never used to speak about guns or even thought of getting guns because we do not have enemies. Kwazi was not a violent person," said one of his friends. On the day of Kwazi's death, his friends had been talking about "boy stuff" and had planned to log on to MXit (a social network service), to discuss a soccer match.
"When I went on to MXit the next morning, one of our friends told us about Kwazi's death. At first I could not believe it, but then I saw a lot of people and cars parked outside his home and I knew it was true," said one friend.
Another said they now lived in fear. "How are going to trust the police if they can kill us and claim we are suspects? We are now scared; we do not feel safe in our homes or on the streets. If they came here to arrest him then they should have woken him up or taken him to the police van because he was not running."
The principal of Tisand Technical School, Dennis LeRoux, who taught Kwazi, said he was a disciplined boy. He was shocked to learn that the police had said he had a gun.
"He was a quiet, disciplined boy; in my mind he would not have owned a gun. He did not show any violent behaviour."
Kwazi's father, Sibusiso Ndlovu, who had just been to the mortuary to see his son's body, said the past few days had been very difficult for the family. He said if the police had made a mistake then they must acknowledge it because he now had to defend his son's innocence.
"What I am scared about most is that the same police could come back for me."
Ndlovu said he would understand if the police had been looking for Kwazi, but pointed out that they had been looking for someone else.
- This breaking news article was supplied exclusively to www.iol.co.za by the news desk at our sister publication, The Mercury.
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