eZakheni police and the community of Kwamteyi Mhlumayo are baffled about the double murder, which claimed the lives of two men. The victims were discovered along the main road just a few meters away from the local clinic, in the early hours of Saturday, 29 May.
Both men had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. It is believed that during the shooting the armed attackers continued the fatal attack and bludgeoned the victims to death with huge rocks. It is also believed that one of the victims tried to escape, but was killed outside the vehicle, while another was found inside the vehicle.
The vehicle was riddled with bullets. Police discovered wallets, cellphones and bank cards belonging to different people scattered outside the vehicle. It is reported that the vehicle belonged to a person from Newcastle, but the vehicle had not been reported stolen or hi-jacked.
On further investigation, police found the owner of the vehicle could not be located and Newcastle police have been contacted to assist with the investigation. Speaking to the Ladysmith Herald, councillor Bhehkowakhe Majola said that around 4am on Saturday he heard gunshots and contacted the eZakheni Police, who said that they would investigate.
“It is difficult to say when gunshots are reported if someone is killed or not, because it is an everyday case that we hear gunshots going off in the area,” said Majola.
Majola said that is becoming a norm for his community. “We have seen so many senseless killings in our area in the last few weeks. There are so many stories that are going around at the moment and we are still not sure what had happened and why these men were killed,” said Majola.
Majola said that there were other victims also in the vehicle who managed to escape the killers. Majola added that one of the victims had been pistol whipped. “Police are currently asking the victim for statements and how they came to the area. We will have to assist the police and allow them to conduct their investigation, so I’m pleading with the community if they have noticed anything to please contact the police,” said Majola.
The community gathered along the crime scene, as eZakheni Police worked to gather evidence. It was further reported that a wallet with an SAPS emblem was found in the vehicle with many card’s inside and it appears that the victims were also robbed of their property as their pockets were turned inside out. The deceased have not yet been identified and police are investigating the murder. The motive for the killing is unknown and no arrests have been made yet.
