Musa Zondi, the ward councillor of eMatimatolo in Greytown where eight people were massacred last night, said the mass murder was a sign that people have “lost” their conscience.
“A human being with a conscience would never have killed and set alight a 4-year-old child. Even if there had been a difference of opinion between the adults, what does a child have to do with those issues?
The eMatimatolo community in Greytown is in shock following the massacre of eight family members including six children. The two adults were elderly.
The attackers carried out two attacks at two household of the Sibiya family. They first shot the victims and then set them alight. Among the dead were two elderly women and six children.
Zondi said the community was shocked by the shooting. “They feel that if something like this could happen here, they are also not safe, so they are very jittery right now,” he said.
The Acting Provincial Commissioner in KwaZulu-Natal Major General Bheki Langa condemned the attack, saying such horrendous acts showed that there are people who still do not value other people’s lives.
“Police will thoroughly investigate the case and ensure that the culprits face the full might of law. They have to receive a befitting sentence for their inhumane behaviour.”
In a statement the ANC said, “This is deeply devastating and we send our heartfelt condolences to the family and wishing those in hospital a speedy recovery.”