An Eastern Cape man has lived to tell the tale of how people are murdered in the besieged Glebelands hostel in Umlazi township, southern KwaZulu-Natal.
The man, who cannot be identified to protect his family, is in hiding. He has fled from people who have killed 22 of his close friends.
Four friends – Frank Khuzwayo, Richard Mbona, William Mthembu and Mthinteni Mhlongo – were killed in the last two months.
“I had to run for my life. I don’t know when my time is coming,” he told the Dispatch during a meeting in KZN recently.
He wept when he recalled how “known warlords” warned victims ahead of time they were going to be killed.
“Hayi zibulewe intsinzwa. Our men have been killed,” he said.
“We don’t know who is next. When people are starting to collect money, we know that someone is going to die. Every week we have one innocent soul taken.
“Inkabi are roaming around the hostel but the police aren’t doing anything to arrest them. The police are scared of these people,” he said.
He recalled an encounter last year, on Women’s Day, when he was shot. “A man said: ‘You are full of s**t, Mpondo. I will kill you’, and then he shot me. How he did not kill me I don’t know.”
He was shot in the hand and another bullet cut through his lower body, just missing his kidney.
According to statistics released by an independent community activist, Vanessa Burger, 53 people have been shot dead since April last year.
“There’s a hit list and police know about it,” Burger said.
The father of four asked: “How do you live knowing that you are next on the list?”
He said the troublemakers were known to be living in blocks 52 and 57. “Police are telling us that Amampondo are troublemakers and we should be deported to the Eastern Cape. This is painful. People have lost their fathers and husbands. These are not boys who are killed here. Their wives are now widows, and this leaves children hungry.”
He said police were also not safe and had to run for their lives after shots were fired in their direction by hitmen earlier this year.
People who entered the no-go zones were easy targets.
“We don’t walk there. We have abandoned our work and rooms as we are followed to work.”
In May, his friend Sipho Ndovela was killed outside a court building in Umlazi, allegedly in front of the police.
“He was taken from us by police as he was going to court and five minutes later he was killed outside court. Some of the police ran away.”
The man’s dead friends are:
Zinakile Fica, Venge Zoleka, Xolisile Nkosiyabo, Phumlani Ndlovu, Fikile Siyephu, Fikile Jumbile, Thulani Kathi, Bongani Kathi, Sipho Ndovela, Nkosinathi Ndovela, Tutu Vilibani, Ke Nikwe, Temba Pina, Thandayiphi Cwele, Ntlo Sigweba, Thokozani Machi, William Mthembu, Ngo Yongama, Richard Mbona, Frank Khuzwayo, Mthinteni Mhlongo and Bongani Mthembu.
“All the people, AmaMpondo from the South Coast to Bizana, Flagstaff and Lusikisiki, are killed. We’ve got Mthembu, Pina and other people who are innocent but were also killed. Some of those killed are from here in KZN, but they were very close with us. They were killed for that. Every one of us is going to die, but what’s our sin?”
Warlords put AmaMpondo on hit list
The man, who cannot be identified to protect his family, is in hiding. He has fled from people who have killed 22 of his close friends.
Four friends – Frank Khuzwayo, Richard Mbona, William Mthembu and Mthinteni Mhlongo – were killed in the last two months.
“I had to run for my life. I don’t know when my time is coming,” he told the Dispatch during a meeting in KZN recently.
He wept when he recalled how “known warlords” warned victims ahead of time they were going to be killed.
“Hayi zibulewe intsinzwa. Our men have been killed,” he said.
“We don’t know who is next. When people are starting to collect money, we know that someone is going to die. Every week we have one innocent soul taken.
“Inkabi are roaming around the hostel but the police aren’t doing anything to arrest them. The police are scared of these people,” he said.
He recalled an encounter last year, on Women’s Day, when he was shot. “A man said: ‘You are full of s**t, Mpondo. I will kill you’, and then he shot me. How he did not kill me I don’t know.”
He was shot in the hand and another bullet cut through his lower body, just missing his kidney.
According to statistics released by an independent community activist, Vanessa Burger, 53 people have been shot dead since April last year.
“There’s a hit list and police know about it,” Burger said.
The father of four asked: “How do you live knowing that you are next on the list?”
He said the troublemakers were known to be living in blocks 52 and 57. “Police are telling us that Amampondo are troublemakers and we should be deported to the Eastern Cape. This is painful. People have lost their fathers and husbands. These are not boys who are killed here. Their wives are now widows, and this leaves children hungry.”
He said police were also not safe and had to run for their lives after shots were fired in their direction by hitmen earlier this year.
People who entered the no-go zones were easy targets.
“We don’t walk there. We have abandoned our work and rooms as we are followed to work.”
In May, his friend Sipho Ndovela was killed outside a court building in Umlazi, allegedly in front of the police.
“He was taken from us by police as he was going to court and five minutes later he was killed outside court. Some of the police ran away.”
The man’s dead friends are:
Zinakile Fica, Venge Zoleka, Xolisile Nkosiyabo, Phumlani Ndlovu, Fikile Siyephu, Fikile Jumbile, Thulani Kathi, Bongani Kathi, Sipho Ndovela, Nkosinathi Ndovela, Tutu Vilibani, Ke Nikwe, Temba Pina, Thandayiphi Cwele, Ntlo Sigweba, Thokozani Machi, William Mthembu, Ngo Yongama, Richard Mbona, Frank Khuzwayo, Mthinteni Mhlongo and Bongani Mthembu.
“All the people, AmaMpondo from the South Coast to Bizana, Flagstaff and Lusikisiki, are killed. We’ve got Mthembu, Pina and other people who are innocent but were also killed. Some of those killed are from here in KZN, but they were very close with us. They were killed for that. Every one of us is going to die, but what’s our sin?”
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos