Durban - KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube has called on police to leave no stone unturned in finding gunmen involved in the mass shootings at the weekend that claimed the lives of 11 people in the province.
Dube-Ncube said that, according to police reports, the latest incident happened at 1.30pm yesterday in Ndwedwe Mission when unknown assailants opened fire on a group of men who were sitting in the veranda of a tuck shop.
“The gunmen fled the scene immediately after indiscriminately discharging a volley of shots, snuffing out the lives of people in an instant. Four men died at the scene while three others were taken to hospital for medical attention. One of the men later died in hospital.”
Dube-Ncube added that six people were killed in a separate incident in Clermont.
“At 22h30 on Friday evening, seven men were in a room at an informal settlement in Clermont when unknown gunmen began shooting randomly, fatally wounding six people. After firing multiple shots, the gunmen fled the scene.”
Dube-Ncube sent her deepest condolences to the families and relatives of all those who lost their lives in the senseless killings.
“We unreservedly condemn in the strongest terms possible the brutal murder of 11 people in incidents at the weekend and call on the police to scour every nook and cranny of the province to find the perpetrators of this horrendous act so that they can be brought to book.”
The premier added that as the country approached the festive season, police have been tasked to identify all crime hot spots in the province as part of their comprehensive Festive Season Integrated Safety Plan and deploy additional officers to beef-up visibility.
“We will not allow a situation where citizens live in fear.The provincial government has a zero-tolerance stance towards all types of crime, more especially murder.
“We call on members of the community to come forward with information that can assist police in the investigation. Issues pertaining to safety and security require an integrated approach from all sectors of society.
“Government, business, civil society including community policing forums need to work together to address criminal activities and instability in order to ensure a safe society and thriving economy.”
Dube-Ncube said that community members needed to identify known criminals to law enforcement.
“We will never win the war against crime if community members continue to protect criminals.The Provincial Organised Crime Unit is investigating a case of murder and attempted murder.”