WeeklySA_AdminJustice:ANC and EFF call for justice for the victims’ families
By Pearl Rantsekeng
SCORES of people chanted freedom songs outside the Verulam Magistrates Court today, where 12 suspects appeared in connection with various charges, including murder, attempted murder and malicious damage to property, some linked to the recent Phoenix massacre.
The 12 are facing separate charges varying from murder to attempted murder, destruction of property as well as possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
They were arrested during separate raids in connection with the bloody killing of black men and women allegedly by people of Indian descent.
The violent acts occurred during the “Release Zuma Campaign”, which eventually turned ugly and resulted in the massive destruction of business properties and looting of shops in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. More than 300 people were killed during the looting spree.
At the same time, a group of Indian vigilantes had allegedly set up roadblocks in Phoenix where black men and women were pulled out of their cars and murdered and others severely beaten.
Ten of the suspects who appeared in court today were Indians and two were Africans.
The two were remanded in custody at Westville Prison while the 10 Indian suspects were remanded in custody at the Durban Central Police station. One of the accused, Vikash Sewran, was granted bail of R5000. The State did not oppose his application for bail as he was facing a Schedule One offence, which is a lesser charge.
Thando Ndlovu and Lindokuhle Ndaba, the two Africans, are facing Schedule Five offences.
Security was tight inside the small courtroom where police kept a close watch at spectators who included members of the media and political organisations.
Outside court the atmosphere was highly charged with members of different organisations, including the ANC and the EFF singing struggle songs. Although both parties were united in calling for justice for the victims’ families and chanted slogans including “Black Lives Matter,” the two parties refused to stand together in one group.
On Thursday, a crowd of about 200 people gathered outside the Durban City Hall where they wanted to deliver a memorandum to the eThekwini Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda.
Kaunda was not available to accept the memorandum which was received by Reggie Cele from his office.
Slogans that included “Phansi ngama Ndiya ase Phoenix abulala abantu, Phansi” as well as “Qina Mtomnyama, qina” were echoed throughout the march.
The marchers had come together under the banner of The Justice for the Phoenix Massacre Victims Movement. The movement was formed after the brutal killings in Phoenix.
The organisers of the march had joined a pre-planned march of pastors under the auspices of God’s Church Must Rise led by Archbishop Bheki Ngcobo.
Ngcobo said the ministers of religion were marching against the Amendment Bill (Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act) perceived as extending the scope of the Act to such an extent that it amounted to state-backed imposition of ideological values not seen since the apartheid era.
“This Act will definitely lead to religious persecution,” said Ngcobo.
One of the organisers of The Justice for the Phoenix Massacre Victims Movement, Moeketsi Lebajwa said black people were tired of always being victims.
Speakers during the march echoed the same message that the ANC government had let them down and had sold them out.
“The Minister of Police, Bheki Cele’s first stop after the violent incident was with our killers. He went straight to the Indians. You know why, because they control the economy of this province. These Indians don’t respect us because they own and control our economy,” said Mlungisi Ngcobo.
In her last update to the media, Acting Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni reported that 20 people had been arrested in connection with the murders in Phoenix.
According to Ntshavheni the death toll figures in KZN following the looting and destruction of properties, stood at 251 while in Gauteng the figure was at 79.
Giving a breakdown of the murders recorded in KZN, she said one was in Amajuba, three in Harry Gwala, three in Umzinyathi, three in Umkhanyakude, six in King Cetshwayo, eight in iLembe, nine in Ugu, 20 in Umgungundlovu and 110 in eThekwini. There were also 87 inquest dockets.
It was still unclear how many people were actually killed in Phoenix. Police are continuing with their investigations. On Thursday, speaking in a TV interview, KZN premier Sihle Zikalala said 38 people were killed in Phoenix, 13 in Chatsworth and eight in Northdale in Pietermaritzburg.
