As fear and anxiety engulf the residents of Imbali township unit 14, Pietermaritzburg, following the family massacre which claimed ten lives in the early hours of Friday morning, more questions are being raised by academics and researchers about the culture of mass murders in KwaZulu-Natal.
The province has been turned into a slaughterhouse with political scores to settle; taxi feuds, and the killing accompanying such killings, add to the mix. Often in the province, personal quarrels are settled through the barrel of a gun.
The gun-wielding assassins often show no mercy to victims, killing their families including young innocent children callously killed.
It is believed heavily armed gunmen ambushed the Memela family home while they were asleep, shooting the occupants dead.
Among the deceased were seven women and two adult males. The youngest victim was 13 years of age.
In a separate incident on Thursday, four males who were sitting inside a house in KwaMashu township B section, were cornered by the assailants. They were shot dead, bringing to 14 the number of people killed in just one week.
Acclaimed violence researcher Mary de Haas pointed to a highly organised “hitmen industry” and the easy access of illegal guns as the main drivers of the killings.
“The reality is that hired killers are very sophisticated; they are more organised than police. You cannot stop brutal killings unless you deal with the proliferation of illegal guns,” said de Haas.
Pietermaritzburg is notorious for mass shootings. Last year, heavily armed gunmen stormed a local tavern in Sweetwaters and randomly fired at the patrons, killing four people instantly.
Ward councillor Mabhungu Mkhize conceded that the township was prone to violent crime.
“It’s a story of most townships where violence and murder have become a norm. Residents are at the mercy of brazen thugs who do not hesitate to kill. Drastic action by authorities needs to be taken. The reality is that we can’t live in a society where people do not hesitate to shoot and kill young children and wipe out the entire family,” lamented Mkhize.
University of Limpopo-based criminologist Professor Witness Maluleke said research indicated that violence had been normalised throughout the province, with killings happening frequently.
“It is difficult to understand why KZN continues to be a hub for these killings. The criminal justice system should shoulder the blame for failing to track illegal guns in wrong hands. There is also poor intelligence-gathering system on the side of law enforcement agencies,” added Maluleke. He said an integrated approach was needed to silence the guns.
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