Rural Eastern Cape once a haven, now gripped by violence

As a young boy, school holidays were a moment I would look forward to.

Leaving urban Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) for a break with my extended family who lived in rural Kinkelbos and Rocklands had a calming effect.

You had a peace of mind – enjoying fresh vegetables, milk from cows and stories from my granny.

Away from the madding crowds in the urban townships, where it would not be unusual to hear of stabbing incidents at night – there would be no crime in Kinkelbos and Rocklands.

The rural setting was never associated with crime.

ALSO READ: ‘We know who we are looking for’: Suspect in police custody for questioning on Lusikisiki shooting

The same could be said of areas in far-flung Transkei – now part of the Eastern Cape.

Things have changed, if the weekend brazen mowing down of 18 family members in that part of our country is anything to go by.

We have now been accustomed to ruthless gun killings in the rural Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, with the scourge not coming to an end.

From Johannesburg or Cape Town, the village of Ngobozana in Lusikisiki – scene of the callous massacre – may seem remote.

In what Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has described as “a stench of human blood still gripping the crime scene”, we have been reminded of how barbaric some members of our society have become.

ALSO READ: ‘We’ll not allow criminals to prevail’: Ramaphosa says Lusikisiki shooting won’t go unpunished

Addressing the local community, Mchunu said Ngobozana was where “the defenceless were killed, with the majority being women”.

“The killers were patient enough to ensure that all were killed.

“Among ourselves, we refer to them as people, but they are not people. They come from among ourselves,” said Mchunu.

Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane described the incident as “a barbaric destruction Thursday 10 3 October 2024 of a family, resembling a war”.

Whether you are in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal or anywhere in the country, this is how we are living, with Ngobozana representing a microcosm of the state of our nation.

ALSO READ: Lusikisiki mass shooting death toll rises as hunt for suspects continue [VIDEO]

Whether the massacre stemmed from a family feud, there can be no plausible explanation for what happened in Ngobozana.

While the role of Police Crime Intelligence is crucial to sniff for any clues of a crime about to be committed, crime-fighting is a broader societal issue.

Stellenbosch University criminologist Dr Guy Lamb says: “These kinds of situations are often difficult for police to deal with through Crime Intelligence, because they are about family or group disputes. Intelligence is more attuned to dealing with trans-national crimes or criminal groups in urban areas.”

Lamb said access to firearms and “norms around family conflicts, lead to violence”.

“It is not just individuals who are targeted, but families and relatives. Sometimes it has to do with disputes over access to land.”

ALSO READ: Police investigate motive behind ‘senseless’ Eastern Cape mass murder [VIDEO]

Criminals live among us, making it easier to collaborate with the criminal justice system.

Mistrust and fear for reprisals make lives difficult for members of communities.

Lest we forget, those who perished were not mere statistics, but people who looked up to the future with families.

They are Nonkanyiso Dukuza, 19, Ruth King, 21, Mandisa Dlokweni, 59, Samantha Sinqina, 26, Lungiswa Gawulekana, 51, Thandeka Mhlaluvele, 46, Mary Sinqina, 63, Nombuliso Dukuza, 32, Mathembisile Mayekiso/Sinqina, 64, Nobelungu France, 59, Themi Vimba, 41, Nomazwi Ndleleni, 59, Nancy Sinqina, 59, Dimpho Sinqina, 30, Thali King Sinqina, 26, Thobile Sinqina, 37, Smomoza Sinqina, 14 and 59-year-old Sigobodo Gxobela.

For those left behind, the trauma will linger until the perpetrators are found and arrested.

ALSO READ: ‘They eat tax resources in jail’ – Mabuyane says criminals who don’t fight police ‘make life difficult’