SESIKHUPHUKE safinyelela kubantu abangu-36 isibalo sabantu abafe ngesikhathi kunezibhelu ePhoenix enyakatho yeTheku ezishiye zidale omkhulu umonakalo.
Lesi sibalo sidalulwe nguNgqongqshe wamaphoyisa uJenene Bheki Cele, ngesikhathi enesigcawu sabacosheli bezindaba ebesisesiteshini samaphoyisa eNanda ngoLwesibili. Kulesi sigcawu uJenene Cele ubenikeza imininingwane ngokuqhubekayo ngokwenzeka ePhoenix kanye noNdunankulu wesifundazwe uMnuz Sihle Zikalala. UJenene Cele, uthe amaphoyisa aphenya namacala angu-52 okuzama ukubulala, angu-16 okushaya ngenhloso yokulimaza kanye nesishiyagalolunye ngokushaya ngendlela efanayo.Uthe bangu-31 abaphenyi abazinikele ababelwe la macala. “Basebenza ngokukhulu ukuzikhandla emazingeni aphansi, basebenzisana nemiphakathi, kanti uphenyo lwabo seluholele ekuboshweni kwabasolwa abangu-22 kuze kube manje (esmo ngoLwesibili). Abanye balaba basolwa kusolakala ukuthi bayamaniswa namacala amaningi okubulala, kanti abanye babhekene namacala ahlobene nokuzama ukubulala, ukulimaza impahla nokuphazamisa ukusebenza kwengalo yomthetho. Bonke abasolwa njengamanje bayaqhubeka nezinqubo zenkantolo kanti abanye bavele enkantolo okokuqala namhlanje ekuseni (esho ngoLwesibili),” kusho uJenene Cele.
Khonamanjalo ishoshozela leJustice for Phoenix Massacre Victims, uJackie Shandu, ngoMsombuluko uzinikele emaphoyiseni, wafike wavalelwa ngenxa yamazwi awasho eThekwini ngesikhathi lenhlangano inemashi ngoLwesine olwedlule. UShandu uzinikele emaphoyiseni enkabeni yeTheku ngemuva kokuvulelwa kwakhe amacala mayelana nesiqubulo asisho esithi “isifiki sakhe esisodwa, inhlamvu eyodwa. Ubekwe icala lokwephula umthetho weRiotous Assembly Act wango-1952 ngokugqugquzela udlame nenzondo yobuhlanga. Le nhlangano isungulwa ngemuva kokuvela ukuthi – ngesikhathi sezinxushunxushu – okungenani abantu abangu-38 babulawa ezigamekweni zokuhlaselwa ePhoenix ngenyanga edlule. Ababulali babuyise isimo sokungezwani ngokobuhlanga emiphakathini ezungeze le ndawo emasontweni edlule. IDemocratic Alliance (DA) kulesi sifundazwe naye ithe iyalisekela ikhwelo lokuthi kwenziwe uphenyo mayelana nokubulawa kwabantu basePhoenix ngesikhathi kunodlame olusanda kwenzeka.
Iqembu belikule ndawo, enyakatho yeTheku ngoMsombuluko lapho belibambe khona izingxoxo nomphakathi kulandela izidubedube zangenyanga edlule esifundazweni naseGauteng. Bangaphezu kuka-20 abantu, abanye abaqhamuka emiphakathini engomakhelwane, ababulawa ePhoenix phakathi nalelo sonto. Umholi weDA kulesi sifundazwe, uFrancois Rodgers uthe kumele kuhlangatshezwane nemibandela eyodwa mayelana nalolu phenyo. “Ngicabanga ukuthi ikhomishini yophenyo yilokho esikudingayo, kodwa nakhu okubalulekile kodwa i-ANC ayikwazi ukuba nekhomishini yophenyo uqobo lwayo. Kumele kube yikhomishini yophenyo ehlanganise amaqembu epolitiki amaningi lapho sizoqinisekisa khona ukuthi sifinyelela ekugcineni yenkinga nomgogodla wembangela. Ngeke ube yijaji nejaji,” kusho uRodgers.
