Mehlo Mvelase and Ann Eveleth
A faction fight between two Inkatha Freedom Party- aligned groups from northern KwaZulu/Natal on Wednesday night led to the police shooting eight people dead in Durban’s KwaMashu township, said sources on the scene.
Relatives of the deceased told the Mail & Guardian police had been “used” by one side of an ongoing faction fight when following up “information” that residents of the IFP-dominated A-section hostel possessed illegal firearms.
South African Police Services spokesman Warrant Officer Vishnu Naidoo said police shot dead eight suspects and arrested 13 following two shoot-outs with hostel residents late on Wednesday night. Naidoo said back-ups from the SAPS Internal Stability Division Reaction Unit came under fire twice when searching for weapons, after arresting four men on illegal weapons charges.
“On arrival at the house, police came under fire. Police returned fire, fatally wounding six suspects. Eleven suspects were arrested and Constable Mani Nel was seriously wounded,” said Naidoo.
Naidoo said police came under fire the second time “while detectives were later investigating at the scene. Police returned fire again, fatally wounding two more suspects and arresting two others.”
Inkatha Freedom Party spokesman Ed Tillet demanded an official inquest into the killings “by white and Indian members of the ISU who allegedly went beserk at the hostel last night”.
Tillet said eyewitness reports suggested police had “acted excessively and regarded the lives of black Africans as cheap” and had shot “indiscriminately” at family members “preparing supper”.
Responding to the allegations, SAPS spokesman Colonel Bala Naidoo said: “For every shooting there must be an inquest. Any person is entitled to give evidence to such an inquest.”
Witnesses on the scene told the Mail & Guardian police had been “used” by one side of a faction fight seeking revenge against their opponents who had driven them out of the hostel earlier this week. The witnesses, from the Nqutu faction, said the deceased had believed they were defending themselves from an attack by the Mahlabathini faction when they fired at police.
Naidoo said police recovered eight firearms, including pistols, homemade shotguns and ammunition from the
The witnesses said the two groups of migrant workers were continuing an ongoing faction fight between IFP supporters from Nqutu and those from Mahlabathini in northern KwaZulu/Natal. The deceased were reportedly from the Nqutu faction, and the police were believed to have received their tip-off from the Mahlabathini faction, who fled to neighbouring Lindelani after losing a battle on Monday night. Sources said the faction fight, which centred on “land, women and cattle theft” had intensified since last December.