OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Friday 9.00PM.
THE Richmond killers have been identified as a five-man hit-squad with military backgrounds, SABC3 has reported. Their leader is known to speak Afrikaans fluently, and police have been searching for them for a year already in connection with previous massacres. Safety and Security Minister Sydney Mufamadi announced the news on Friday during a visit to the strife-torn KwaZulu-Natal midlands town and its surroundings. Warrests have been issued for the arres of the five. Mufamadi said work still needs to be done, but he is confident of a breakthrough — the investigating team and search teams have been increased.
Six 40m-high floodlight masts were installed on Friday to help prevent further attacks, previously aided by the dark.
At least 39 have been killed, and many more wounded in attacks in the area since July 3. In the latest attack, nine people, including infants, were killed in their Simozomeni home on Tuesday night.
On Saturday, another 136 soldiers from Potchefstroom will arrive in the area to assist the 800 already there.
At night, many Richmond houses are deserted, as women and children leave to spend the night at the Richmond police station, town halls or local schools. Latest from this week’s Mail & Guardian:
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