Osizweni weekend carnage: Five dead, police intervene

Violence swept through Osizweni, KwaZulu-Natal over the weekend, leaving five people dead in a series of attacks that have rattled the community.

Osizweni SAPS spokesperson, Captain Sipho Nkosi, described the events, starting with the first murder late on Friday, 13 September 2024, at 11:30 pm.

A 25-year-old man, out for the evening, was assaulted and stabbed in the chest. “The victim was rushed to Madadeni Hospital; however, he was declared dead on arrival at the hospital,” Captain Nkosi explained.

The second tragedy unfolded in the early hours of Saturday, 14 September 2024, shortly after 1 am, while the victim was at a tavern with a friend. Captain Nkosi said, “The suspect walked in and shot the victim to death, before stabbing the victim’s friend,” Captain Nkosi said. Fortunately, the friend survived, and the suspect was arrested soon after the attack.

The violence continued later that night. At approximately 10 pm, a 22-year-old man lost his life after being stabbed during a chaotic scene. “A group of men went to a house in Osizweni, looking for a certain individual. In the process, they damaged the home’s doors, the windows, and the car that was parked outside the house. When they did not find the person they were looking for, they stabbed a 22-year-old man who was at the house at the time,” explained Captain Nkosi.

No arrests have been made in connection with this incident.

Sunday, 15 September 2024, brought further bloodshed with two additional murders. The fourth victim, a 33-year-old man, was stabbed to death in Section D. “The deceased was killed by an unknown suspect, and the motive of the death is still unknown at this point of time,” stated Captain Nkosi.  The fifth murder occurred around 10:30 pm, that same night. “The victim was walking along a public road in Jakkalspan, near a tavern, when an unknown suspect came from behind him and shot him,” confirmed Captain Nkosi.

Reflecting on these violent crimes, Captain Nkosi shared a disturbing pattern. “It is speculated that these groups of youngsters are now attacking each other, and it is suspected that the murders are drug related. It seems as if they are going from tavern to tavern, looking for those they are ‘fighting’ with and killing them,” he said.

The ongoing issue of gangsterism in Osizweni, which has tormented the area for years, is believed to be at the root of these vicious acts. In response to the escalating violence, Captain Nkosi assured the community that the police were working tirelessly to end the terror.

“Police are now working around the clock to bring an end to gang-related violence, enhancing patrols and putting immense focus on the groups that are unleashing waves of violence in the community.”

Furthermore, in response to the weekend’s tragic events, on Thursday, 19 September 2024, the Amajuba District Commissioner Major General Alexander, deployed the Amajuba District SAPS team to Osizweni to assist in restoring order. The team, composed of Colonel Mhlongo, Captain Mabuyakhulu from the Public Order Police Unit, Warrant Officer Mbatha, Sergeant Sangweni, Constables Mdluli, Maphalala, and Qwabe, and local traffic officers S Kunene and S Mahlaba, who carried out a series of targeted operations.

During the operation, officers received a tip-off about two men carrying firearms. Acting on the information, they successfully arrested one suspect, who was found with an unlicensed firearm. While one suspect is now in custody, when the second suspect saw the officers, he immediately fled the scene and dropped his firearm in the process. The team is actively pursuing the fugitive, and further investigations are underway to determine whether the suspects are linked to the string of murders.

With an intense focus currently on Osizweni following the murders and gangsterism, as you will recall, in September 2020, Newcastillian News reported how gang violence had become a concerning problem, with video footage showing a group of youngsters walking the streets, armed with weapons.

To read more, click here.  

Despite ongoing community efforts to put an end to the violence, the problem persists. With police now intensifying their crackdown on gangsterism, what are your thoughts on this troubling situation? Share your views in the comments section below.