By Anita Dangazele
The families of the 18 victims of the Lusikisiki massacre were left disappointed and confused after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said it had no record of the three suspects that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said would appear in court on Monday.
Addressing the memorial service for the victims on Sunday, Mchunu said three suspects were arrested in connection with other shooting incidents in the area, and police were hoping that these cases would eventually link them to the killing of 18 people at Ngobozana village on 27 September.
“They have been arrested for specific cases that will be clarified in court in terms of the charges,” Mchunu said. “But as I say, it is possible that while they are charged with specific cases, they may be people of interest in other cases, including the massacre.”
Eastern Cape NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said they had no record of the three arrests the minister mentioned.
The Lusikisiki courtroom was filled to the brim on Monday with people who came to support the families of the 18 people who were shot and killed in Ngobozana village on 27 September.
Daniel King, the father of one of the victims, said the miscommunication between the police and the NPA was confusing and hurtful to the families.
“It’s really confusing on our part because we are busy with preparations to bury our loved ones, but we also have an interest to see the people that are committing criminal acts in Lusikisiki.
“We left our busy schedules to come to this court, only to find out that no such thing is going to happen,” he said.
“It’s quite surprising that a minister would announce that there is going to be a court case today for the three that have been arrested, only to find that is not happening.
“The big question is, how did the minister know that they are going to appear today if the court is not aware of this?” King said.
He said the trust of the victims’ families in the justice system had been dented.
Pictured above: Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
Source: SAPS/Facebook
