Describing the mass shooting of eight people in uMlazi on Friday night as a “barbaric and inhumane” act, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has announced plans to install Apollo lights and surveillance cameras in high-risk areas of the province, including parts of the township, in a bid to curb violent crime.
The eight people were shot dead in the Zama informal settlement in uMlazi’s U Section.
Premier Ntuli visited the crime scene on Saturday, accompanied by deputy provincial police commissioner, Major General Phumelele Makoba. Addressing the media, Ntuli said the lighting and other environmental design measures were critical to reducing criminal activity.
The premier condemned the killings and called for the immediate arrest of the perpetrators.According to the South African Police Service, eight people, six men and two women aged between 22 and 40, were found with multiple gunshot wounds inside a house. Two others were injured and taken to hospital, while three reportedly escaped.
KwaZulu-Natal SAPS spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the victims were sitting inside a house at Zama when gunmen opened fire. “Reports indicate that gunmen opened fire on people who were inside the house. The motive of the killing has not been established, although drug-related turf war could not be ruled out,” he said.
Ntuli said: “We cannot, in fact, live in an environment wherein people fear to live. And the other issue of the environmental designs are other factors that ought to be addressed, like the issue of the high-mast lights, to ensure that it is not easy even for the criminals to commit such a crime when there is lighting at night.”
“As part of immediate interventions to enhance safety, Premier Ntuli outlined a plan to install Apollo lights and surveillance cameras in high-risk areas to deter criminal activity and protect vulnerable residents,” said the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government in a media statement.
Ntuli said, “What is more worrisome is that this is not the first incident. Two years ago, not far from here, the police have informed me that six people were shot to death. As today, we are talking about more than 10 people who were affected, as eight were shot to death and two were hospitalised and three escaped.”
He said the government would engage the Department of Human Settlements and eThekwini Municipality to address environmental conditions, including shelter and service delivery, and work with the police to ensure the perpetrators are apprehended. “We need to aggressively address the issue of illegal ammunition; guns are all over. That cannot be done only by the police. The community themselves need to participate,” said Ntuli.
EThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba also visited the area and condemned the killings, urging residents to assist the police. “We have full confidence in our law enforcement agencies, led by General Mkhwanazi in the province, that they will find the suspect and bring them to book,” he said.
Police have launched a manhunt for the suspects. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
THE MERCURY
