“We are living in fear, people are killed like flies,” says a Loskop resident when speaking, on condition of anonymity, about a crime wave that has swept through the area during the past weeks.
This has been confirmed by police who have revealed details about five murders that were committed in the space of two days.
Between January 25 and January 27, police spokesperson Warrant Officer Basheer Khan says Amangwe (Loskop) police “hand their hands full.”
Here is a summary of the murders:
1. On January 25 at about 06:00, the body of a 36-year-old man was discovered along the road in the Nkomokazini area. The deceased, Siphesihle Hlongwane, had sustained several gunshot wounds. The motive for the murder is unknown at this stage.
2. At 23:00, a 45-year old-man was accosted at his home in the Nyezane area, by several suspects who shot him several times. Sebelo Mazibuko was declared dead at the scene.
3. On January 27, a security guard was accosted at a school in the Nkomokazini area. The 60-year-old man was brutally assaulted and sustained fatal injuries. The premises was broken into and nine computers were taken. The deceased had been identified as Siqonga Mswane.
4. In the early hours of the same day (January 27), the bodies of two men aged 36 and 43 were discovered along a road in the Mandabeni area. The men had sustained several gunshot wounds. The deceased have been identified as Sithembiso Nxumalo (36) and Siyabonga Dennis Manyoni (43).
W/O Khan says that police are investigating cases of murder.
“Anyone with information that could be of assistance to detectives is requested to contact Sergeant SS Hadebe on 036 448 1024 or on 082 462 9569. Alternatively contact crime stop on 08600 10111. All information will be treated in the strictest of confidence,” he added.
He did not however deliberate on any crime preventative measures that have been employed by police to curb the crime in the area.
Residents were hopeful that crime in Loskop would decrease after a Crime Prevention Imbizo was held in Nyezane during October last year and was hosted by Minister of Police General Bheki Cele.
READ MORE HERE: Police minister reshuffles Amangwe police to address crime needs
A reshuffle of the Amangwe police management was thereafter implemented in the hopes of a better working relationship between the community and police that would assist in curbing crime.
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