Durban -A team of investigators has been established to probe the murders of four people at KwaMashu men’s hostel after 20 armed men stormed the property on Wednesday afternoon.
During the shooting, five other people were wounded and were rushed to a local clinic.
Kwanele Ncalane, spokesperson for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Community Safety and Liaison, said the department was saddened by the incident and conveyed their condolences to the affected families.
He said the department would work closely with law enforcement to help them bring the perpetrators to book.
“There is currently a police task team that is investigating the incident. To us, at the department, it is clear that those people were on a mission to kill.
“We are still waiting for the investigation, but we are calling for people in the KwaMashu area to provide information to assist the police with the investigation,” he said.
Ncalane said hostels had become a playground for criminals where people were killed on a daily basis.
“We are concerned about the safety of people around hostels and particularly that hostel.
“The incidence of killings in hostels is on the rise again lately, and we thought we had gone past this, so it saddens us that people are losing their lives in the hostels,” Ncalane said.
Sandile Gwala, ward 39 councillor, said 20 men stormed the hostel and shot four men. Three were declared dead at the scene and the other victim died shortly after arrival at the KwaMashu clinic.
Gwala said crime was rampant in the area in the vicinity of hostel, with gangsterism and taxi violence being out of control.
“I received the call notifying me of gunshots on Kholwa Road and I immediately called the police to attend to the scene. I also went to the scene.
“There are many unlicensed guns in that hostel and that is one of the contributing factors towards crime.
“The area is also a hideout for criminals. The number of people owning guns in the area is shocking,” said Gwala.
He said violence in the hostel had to be addressed, adding that he would ask for more help from the municipality.
“The violence here is out of control, the problem is that the K Section police station cannot solve this alone. I believe we need more law enforcement, maybe from the provincial or national level.
“There are programmes in place to try to curb crime and I have to tell hostel dwellers that enough is enough,” said Gwala.
Colonel Robert Netshiunda, the KZN SAPS spokesperson, said the case has been opened at the KwaMashu K police station and the Provincial Organised Crime unit was investigating the matter.
“It is reported that at least 20 armed suspects stormed into the hostel and opened fire on the victims.
“The Provincial Organised Crime Unit has already started with the investigation,” said Netshiunda.