Family calls for end to eZakheni feud

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File photo

Published Apr 21, 2015

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Durban - One of two families from eZakheni near Ladysmith who have been in a bloody feud for more than 30 years wants the killing to end.

The Mabasos and the Gamedes have been at each other’s throats since the 1980s and nobody can remember how the fight, which has claimed many lives, started.

Both groups and their extended families continue to live in fear of each other.

In a statement last year, the Department of Safety revealed that a killing of one of the family’s member at a traditional event years ago had triggered the war.

The violence had spread into the taxi businesses of two members of the families.

The Daily News visited the area where four men: Zitha Madondo, 33, Nkosiyakhe Mabaso, 33, Thanda Mabaso, 31 and Mboniseni Zungu, 33, a Tactical Response Team police officer, were murdered a few days ago.

The Madondos are relatives of the Mabaso family

.

The grassy cattle country where the families live has become paralysed by suspicion and hate and the Mabaso relatives said they had had enough of the hate.

A relative of Madondo, who did not wish to be identified, said if more effort had been made by police and government community safety structures, the feud would have been be over.

“We do not know what Community Safety MEC Mchunu (Willies) is doing. He just comes here and he talks but he does not have any solutions.

“The police are not helping us in any way, they have leads to follow but don’t arrest people.

“Do you think this will end? This thing will never end. We are tired now, we want it to be over,” said the man angrily.

“We are busy preparing for the funeral, come back the day after tomorrow when we are not so occupied,” he said.

Madondo’s body was escorted home by four police cars, including a minibus and an entourage made up of mostly taxis last Wednesday.

The Madondo family chased the police escort away from their home and the police had to move their cars further down the road.

A source said it was unclear why the two families were fighting.

“All I can tell you is that it is an old thing,” he said,

The Daily News team was advised by locals and a police officer to request a police escort to accompany them to the families’ homes because it was “too dangerous” to go alone.

Police recently appealed for people with information regarding the shooting incident to come forward. Provincial police spokesman, Major Thulani Zwane, said the case had been handed to the Pietermaritzburg Organised Crime Unit for investigation.

Kwanele Ncalane, a spokesman for Community Safety, said bringing the feuding families together to talk was all the department could do.

“There is no other way that an amicable resolution can be reached without talking. We strongly encourage all those involved in the conflict to engage with government and the police to resolve this.”

Daily News

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