By Anita Dangazele
Everything came to a standstill on Monday at Godini village in Qumbu after a group of men ambushed 10 stock theft patrollers at a local school on Sunday night.
Schooling was disrupted, and many others did not make their daily commute to town for fear of being attacked.
Resident Luleka Mkhize said she heard the gunshots from her house on Sunday night and started calling her neighbours to see if they could hear them, too.
“A little while later, we heard police sirens as they came to the village. We were all alarmed; we didn’t think we’d witness something like this in our village.
“We recently saw something similar in Lusikisiki [where 18 people were killed as they were preparing for a traditional ritual to mark the end of mourning for two family members who were murdered last year].
“We are all shaken up and scared for our safety. We don’t know when these men will come back to finish what they started,” Mkhize said.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli said the incident happened at 10.45pm at Lugongozo Junior Secondary School in Tina Falls in the Godini administrative area of Qumbu.
“A group of at least eight men, who were armed with rifles and handguns, opened fire on a group of community patrollers. Six people succumbed to their injuries, and four victims were rushed to the nearest hospital.”
Visiting the crime scene on Monday, national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola said the incident was stock-theft related.
“We got the motive that it is stock-theft related, but also there is some conflict within various villages here – but the whole motive will be unfolded later.
“These are local disputes or conflicts; hence, we already know some of the suspects as we speak, and we will catch them as soon as possible,” Masemola said.
Eastern Cape Community Safety MEC Xolile Nqatha said the incident could have been avoided if the forum had worked with the police.
“That is why we always encourage communities to organise themselves and set up structures as they have done here. However, one of the weaknesses is that it is not a formalised structure because formal structures are linked to relevant police stations.
“Had they been working in collaboration with the police, some of the things could have been avoided, but we fully understand that they stood up as a community to fight against stock theft,” Nqatha said.
Mhlontlo mayor Mbulelo Jara said the latest incidents show that the government is still far from winning the battle against crime.
“It means that many illegal firearms are in the possession of criminals. We cannot really be happy when our people are being killed day by day,” he said.
Pictured above: National police commissioner General Fannie Masemola addresses community patrollers camping outside the crime scene.
Source: SAPS/Facebook
