The families of six people who were gunned down in a suspected whoonga den say they are too scared to receive mourners after dark. Picture: Thokozani Ndlovu The families of six people who were gunned down in a suspected whoonga den say they are too scared to receive mourners after dark. Picture: Thokozani Ndlovu
Durban – KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Mxolisi Kaunda is giving “full attention” to the drug and crime problems in Hammarsdale following a family massacre in the area.
Six members of a family – four men and two women – aged between 20 and 37 died when five gunmen opened fire at their home recently.
A seventh family member was critically injured.
Whoonga was found at the house and it’s believed the killings were drug related.
MEC Kaunda has met with Acting Provincial Police Commissioner Bhekinkosi Langa and the management of the Department of Community Safety and Liaison to discuss the issue.
Their meeting was aimed at investigating the problem of drugs and to devise strategies to deal with crime in the area.
“We have met with security agencies to develop strategies. We have also assembled a team from the department that will liaise with all stakeholders in a bid to find solutions to issues of crime in the area. We urge the community to work closely with the police,” said Kaunda.
He added that he was encouraged by several drug related arrests in the greater Durban area over the past week.
Eight people were arrested in police raids in hotspots around the Bhekithemba area in uMlazi, for being in possession of whoonga and dagga. Dagga parcels and 34 straws of whoonga were found.
Four more suspects aged between 23 and 39 were arrested for possession of drugs in other drug dens, also in uMlazi. Capsules of whoonga were recovered.
A 55-year-old foreigner was caught in the Point area with 20 grams of crystal methcathinone (“cat”), one large packet of crystal meth and four smaller packets of crystal meth with a street value of R6 000.
Four suspects were arrested in separate incidents in the Mariannhill area.
The suspects, aged between 25 and 35, were found in possession of more than 400 capsules of heroin and two mandrax tablets as well as dagga parcels to the street value of more than R14 000.
“Drugs are the key drivers of crime and result in the decline of morals in our society. We urge communities to work with the police to ensure that we clean our society of this evil scourge,” said Kaunda.