Ten killed as two rural Eastern Cape villages come under attack

Ten people were shot dead in two villages in the Bhityi area, near Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, on Wednesday night.

Police officers at the scene where seven people were shot dead in Upper Qunu near Mthatha on Wednesday night. All the bodies are still in this white house.
Police officers at the scene where seven people were shot dead in Upper Qunu near Mthatha on Wednesday night. All the bodies are still in this white house. (LULAMILE FENI)

Ten people were shot dead in two villages in the Bhityi area, near Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, on Wednesday night.

Three were killed at Thantseka village near Bumbane.

Traditional leader Nkosi Mfundo Mtirara said seven others were killed in Qunu.

Bhityi and Qunu are 13km apart.

“It is believed the attack first started at Thantseka at about 8pm on Wednesday and later it was here at Qunu. The shooting incident at Qunu happened at about 11.40pm. All the seven bodies were in one house and this suggested that they are of one family,” Mtirara said.

Police attend to the crime scene where seven people were shot dead at Upper Qunu near Mthatha on Wednesday night.
Police attend to the crime scene where seven people were shot dead at Upper Qunu near Mthatha on Wednesday night. (LULAMILE FENI/ File photo )

He said it was not known if the two incidents were related.

Community members said they feared for their lives.

This incident comes after the shooting of seven family members at Thantseka last year.

This is a developing story.

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