The party’s provincial leadership met with its branches in the affected area in Pinetown on Monday to discuss the assassinations. On Tuesday it released a hard-hitting statement on the conclusions it had drawn from the meeting. “There is no doubt that a hit squad is now in operation in [Inchanga]‚” the SACP said‚ citing the shooting last week of the Shozi brothers‚ Ndumiso‚ 27 and Thbani‚ 25.
“On the same night a body of an SACP female activist‚ Nonhlanhla Mkhize‚ was discovered with a gunshot wound in front of the home of a prominent ANC leader in the region of eThekwini.”
The latest killings follow that of SACP member Nontsikelelo Blose‚ 40‚ and the ANC's Xolani Ngcobo‚ 38‚ who were killed 24 hours apart in August.
Previous killings in Inchanga include those of the SACP's Phillip Dlamini‚ 68‚ and Bongani Hlatshwayo‚ 38‚ both killed in January‚ and Siyabonga Ngubo‚ 38‚ who was killed in May.
“Subsequent to those killings there had been other killings of two SACP members‚ Lungisani Mchunu and Mzamo Mzimela‚ from different areas of [Inchanga]. There was another killing of a community member‚ Zazi Mthembu‚” the party said.
“There had been other attempts of assassination of which some are in hospitals and others managed to escape.”
It said there appeared to be a reluctance on the part of the ANC provincial leadership to tackle the conflict in the area which it said stemmed from the nomination of coucillors for the local government elections.
There was also serious concern about the “factional” role of the police‚ particularly the Metro Police‚ which many locals viewed as a “private army of certain individuals” in the area.
The meeting resolved to task the provincial leadership of the SACP to call an urgent meeting with the Premier‚ Commissioner of Police‚ and the MEC of Transport‚ Community Safety and Liaison in the province to address its concerns. - TMG Digital.
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