Durban — A survivor of the Glebelands Hostel’s mass shooting, who is recovering in hospital, has said he fears for his life.
The man, who was shot four times, is among the survivors in a shooting that left eight people dead in uMlazi on the weekend.
“I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. At the moment I (fear) for my life. I don’t know if they will come after me. I am still shocked that I survived. It was my first time visiting them in block 57, through someone who is my friend. We were having drinks early in the morning when we were shot.
“I have no idea what happened, all I saw was people getting inside the room and starting shooting. Everything happened so fast, it was very difficult to see what was happening,” he said.
DA KZN spokesperson on Community Safety and Liaison Sharon Hoosen said it was unfortunate that this province continued to have criminals who were trigger-happy.
“The recent crime stats show that uMlazi has the highest reported cases of murder in the country, making KZN the murder capital of South Africa. This will never stop if the province’s political leadership and SAPS continue to operate as normal,” said Hoosen.
KZN peace monitor and human rights activist Mary de Haas said the blame for this criminality in hostels lay with uMlazi policing, which was “atrocious”, and the municipality.
“Block 57 is historically a haven for criminals. My big concern right now is that several blocks haven’t had power since Friday, and that makes it so easy to kill, especially when people have to work at night. At the best of times the street lights often don’t work,” she said.
Blessed Gwala, the IFP’s provincial spokesperson for community safety and liaison, said the killings in Glebelands hostel proved that KZN was a war zone.
“This is the same hostel where between March 2014 and January 2019, more than 120 people died as a result of violence alleged to be perpetrated by hit men. This is proof that KZN is a war zone where gun-toting criminals do as they please. This matter deserves urgent attention from senior police management,“ said Gwala.
Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said: “Sadly one of the injured has passed away in hospital, bringing the death toll to eight. Police are investigating eight counts of murder and four of attempted murder.”
Mthembeni Thusi, a spokesperson for Ubumbano Lwamahostela, when contacted, said he was in a meeting to discuss the matter and we must call an hour later, but the call went unanswered.
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