Police Minister, Bheki Cele provided updates on the recent violence, arrests and court proceedings to the communities of Bhambayi, Amaoti, Zwelisha and Phoenix. Present at the Vineyard Church in Palmview on Sunday, 15 August, were community leaders and representatives of the community policing forums.
Cele was joined by Mxolisi Myeni and Saroj Govender- conveners representing Phoenix on the Peace Committee and Provincial Community and Safety Liaison, Khalid Mbongwe. Cele said that of the 36 people who died it has been confirmed that 33 were murdered. He said that police lapsed and did not do their jobs hence communities took it upon themselves to do the work of the police. “There is nothing illegal when communities work with police. Civilian arrests can be made. When a person arrests, tries and sentences a person to death then it is criminal. People who lost loved ones want justice,” said Cele. He said that a team comprising of 31 detectives and three prosecutors are working with the detectives ‘around the clock’. “Due to the identification parade that needed to take place, the faces of the suspects were not shown in the media but as from Wednesday, the faces of the suspects will be seen. The police are investigating the role the private security companies played in the unrest. 152 firearms have been collected for ballistic testing. 130 illegal firearms were collected from Phoenix,” said Cele.
He said that much good work has been done by the people of Phoenix to solve the cases in the investigation. He advised the community to say no to racism and to work with the peace committee. Cele said that there are gruesome videos on social media as to how the victims were killed. He said that the army and police will not be in the communities forever hence social cohesion needs to be built. He explained that food stuff collected are not destroyed. “ The police and social development are determining if food is useable, and if so it will be donated. Companies have asked for the recovered goods which will also be donated to social welfare organisations,” said Cele. Saroj Govender said that those who attended the meeting, almost everyone spoke on rebuilding, peace and reconciliation. “People of Phoenix echoed they were guarding their families from the many messages they were receiving which is within the law, without causing any danger to anyone. For those few criminals who took the law into they own hands, Phoenix stands together in saying they leave it to the investigating team to complete it’s task and allow those to face the law.”
Sham Maharaj of Ubuntu Development Corporation welcomed the presence of Minister Bheki Cele to Phoenix. “There were many arrests. The names of those charged will appear in public once they appear in court. The Minister undertook to facilitate a joint meeting between leaders and communities from Phoenix and surrounding communities to foster unity and to develop a social cohesion program which we welcome. We urge all our communities to look ahead and to work actively towards building our communities and our nation,” he said. AMSA Activist Morgan Nair said that political interference is a stumbling block towards peace and harmony in Phoenix. “Those implicated in criminality have been arrested and the law is taking its course. It is concerning that innocent Indian people in KZN are intimidated and threatened because a few people from Phoenix have engaged in criminality. The leadership must appeal to the people to stop these acts for the sake of a better South Africa.”
DLC Leader Patrick Pillay welcomed Bheki Cele’s report back on the status of the investigations, however he expressed concerns that a lot has to be done to curb the vulnerabilities of the Indian community who are attacked and harassed whilst using the public transport services to Durban via Kwa Mashu. Pillay said that It is unfortunate that there are no news forthcoming of the instigators of the insurrection that started the civil unrest. “The police ministry should be focusing on all 300 plus deaths that occurred during this period. Government needs to continue to play a pivotal role during this period of rebuilding our society,” he said. Imran Sather, said that the stigma of racism and massacre should be removed as Indians and Africans in Phoenix are getting along and things have gone back to normal. “There is no enmity or racism,” he said.
Pastor Niven Lalmund said that the community have to forge a way forward, to bring unity amongst our people and the surrounding communities. “We have to look at ways of meeting with the leaders of the different communities to bring peace.” Pastor Joshua Moses said that the meeting was strategic. “It is a two way battle that has been raging for a long time. We pray for a reconciliation. It is not about our colour anymore, its about us being united and committed to working together for reconciliation. A generation is rising up that will have no sense of purpose if the leaders do not stand for what we have been called. Working together as communities irrespective of what we have gone through.” Pastor J.J Naidoo said that the surrounding communities are looking for the same solutions as Phoenix. “However in between the communities there seems to be a rogue element keeping the ‘fire stoked’. They are preventing the solution from going forward. If we get one cohesive message we will forge a better way forward.”
