A bereaved Daveyton family in Ekurhuleni, following the brutal shooting of six revellers at a tavern, described in harrowing detail how their loved ones were mowed down by unknown assailants last weekend.
In an interview with Sunday World, a relative poured her heart out, describing how her cousin, uncle and other revellers, were mowed down at dusk by men driving in a minibus.
“After a series of gunshots, I saw my uncle and cousin lying there. I tried waking them up, but unfortunately, they were gone,” said Ntjantja Mphanya, who witnessed the shooting.
Relating the story, Ntjantja said it was just after 6pm while watching a football match at a local tavern when a minibus with an undisclosed number of men pulled over, and without warning opened fire on her relatives.
“I was with both my uncle and cousin, Jankie Mphanya and Moses Ntshangase and a friend of mine earlier. They suggested we go and watch a soccer match [at a tavern]. I refused.
“A few minutes later we saw a group of people running. The lady who works at the tavern asked that we hide inside the house. We did that. I went to the dining room and then heard the gunshots.
“I could see the shadows of the shooters but not their faces. After minutes that felt like a lifetime, we went outside and that’s when I saw my family members lying in a pool of blood,” said Ntjantja.
After the arrival of the paramedics, she said they found more than 80 spent cartridges at the scene.
“We plead with the police to make sure thatjustice prevails, because if nothing is done, we will end up taking the law into our hands,” she said.
One of the neighbours who also witnessed the shooting said it was shocking that innocent people were killed for doing nothing wrong.
“There has been an issue of zama zamas and we suspect that it was one of those.
“Recently four people were killed as a result and now more are dead. We want the police to give us justice and make sure that these people are arrested. If they don’t, these killings will not stop,” she said.
Meanwhile, Emma Ntshangase, the sister of Moses Ntshangase, one of the victims, said: “I have never seen something this tragic.
“I keep asking myself why they had to kill them in such a brutal manner.”
Emma said her brother was a loving father, brother and son.
“Moses is the one who used to take care of my mother, he would go to withdraw her pension money, and make sure that my mother has her chronic medication. Now that he is gone, I don’t know who will do all that, because I am also married and I don’t stay here. I only come to visit from time to time.”
Sunday World could not speak to the mother of the late Moses as she was too traumatised to speak to the media.
The mother of Moses’ son, Emma Mkhwanazi, said losing Moses tore her apart.
“Moses and I were no longer together, but he was hands-on in his son’s life. “He never missed any important event in his son’s life. Now that he is gone, I will have to step up and be both mother and father to him.
“It’s like he knew that his father would pass on. He goes to him on weekends but this week he said he wanted to go there on Wednesday, and I allowed him to. Since his father’s passing he has not been coping at school. He is currently not going to school until all this is over,” she said.
Moses and Mkhwanazi shared a 12-year-old son, who is now in grade six.
The families of the two deceased said they were awaiting the postmortem results, and only then would they commence with funeral arrangements.
They said there would be a joint funeral for the two – Junkie and Moses.
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