A shooting which left five people dead and 17 wounded may have been sparked by a feud over stolen cattle.
|||KwaZulu-Natal - A shooting which left five people dead and 17 wounded in northern KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday may have been sparked by a feud between two clans over stolen cattle.
The attackers targeted visitors to a coming-of-age ceremony in rural Sundumbili in northern KZN. No arrests have yet been made.
People in the area, who all spoke on condition of anonymity, said the killers believed their victims had refused to help address the issue of stolen cattle a few years ago.
”We were shocked to see them here,” a witness said.
“I tried to warn them against causing any harm to anyone but they did not listen,” another man said, as he pointed out to reporters where the dead men lay.
Police spokesman Colonel Jay Naicker said a task team had been set up to investigate the murders.
Naicker said forensic and ballistic analysis had shown that the attackers had used handguns and rifles.
Five counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder were being investigated, Naicker said.
The community was celebrating the coming of age ceremony of two of Bhekisiwe Khuzwayo’s daughters when the gunmen arrived.
Khuzwayo said she was devastated by the killings and feared the men would return.
“These men have their own children, homes and families, but they did everything they could to destroy an occasion for my children who have nothing,” she said, crying.
She said she had saved up for years for the auspicious isiZulu ceremony, including to pay the R20 000 for two cows.
“They have ruined my children’s function; all the money spent on this has gone to waste,” said the single mother of four.
Bhekisiwe said she did not know what would happen next and would consider camping in the mountains with her children
until the perpetrators were caught.
Community Safety and Liaison MEC Willies Mchunu has been asked to convene a meeting with all stakeholders to bring calm to the area. - Daily News
sihle.mlambo@inl.co.za