A widowed 94-year-old Eastern Cape man is mourning the deaths of six members of his family — including his son, daughter-in-law, daughter and grandchild — gunned down in cold blood on Monday and Tuesday nights.
Zwelibanzi Ncedo, who lives in a remote area of the Mpoza administrative area in Mfuleni village outside Tsolo, could not believe the loss of so many lives.
“They could have killed me instead and left the children alone. Why are they so cruel that they wiped out the whole family?
“I am too old and too frail. This is just killing me — why, Lord?” wailed the distraught old man.
The family said those murdered were John Makhelwane, who celebrated his 67th birthday on Sunday, his wife Nomakhemest Nowandile Ncedo, 61, Thandabantu Ncedo, Maphuthisi Ncedo, Bulelwa Ncedo and Mbuyiseli Ncedo.
Zwelibanzi Ncedo’s grandson, Mbuyiseli, 43, was shot dead on Monday night near his grandfather’s homestead.
The other five were killed on Tuesday night.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nomthetheleli Mene has called on the province’s serious and violent crimes unit to expedite the investigation into the killings.
Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said the others were killed in the home of Ncedo’s eldest son, Makhelwane, in the nearby Mfuleni village where they were gathering for a prayer meeting for Mbuyiseli.
Mbuyiseli is Makhelwane’s son but was staying with his grandfather.
“On Tuesday at about 7pm, neighbours heard gunshots at a rondavel in Mpozolo village in Tsolo,” Naidu said.
“On investigation, the bodies of two men, aged 73 and 75, were found with bullet wounds.
“Also, at the same time, three more people, aged between 62 and 67 years of age — a male and two women — were shot and killed in a nearby homestead in the same location.
“According to police information, two unknown armed males arrived and shot the victims in the head.
“The motive for the attacks is under investigation. In total six people from the same family were killed.”
Mene is urging anyone who can assist with information about the murders to come forward.
“We need the community’s co-operation in helping us bring the perpetrators of these heinous and cruel murders to justice.
“These senseless acts of violence are purely criminal and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
“We will not allow criminals to inflict fear in our communities.”
A survivor of the shootings, who asked not to be named, was traumatised.
“After the Monday killing, the family was in the rondavel for the prayer meeting the next evening.
“We had just finished having dinner.
“Two men arrived about 7pm, one wearing a uniform like a police uniform. One was carrying a rifle and another carrying a pistol.
“The first asked who was Makhelwane, who was Nowandile and who was Bulelwa and they just opened fire killing the three instantly, leaving the rest of us.
“They came to kill only the three. They did not say why they killed the three.
“This left us traumatised — I did not even know whether I was alive, injured or dead.
“I took a long time time to realise what had happened and that I was alive.
“I can still hear the sound of the guns and the screaming as if it was happening now. I am scared.”
He said after shooting the three in the rondavel, the killers went to the other side of the village and shot dead Thandabantu and Maphuthisi who were together in another house.
Villagers said that they were living in fear as there had been many shooting incidents in the remote village.
Zamikhaya Mpindani said a traditional leader was shot dead in 2022 in the same village where at least 12 people, including this week’s six, were shot dead.
“In one incident, there was a shooting at a funeral where a man suspected of killing the man who was buried was shot dead.
“In 2022, a woman who was a relative of the Ncedo family was shot dead and, at her funeral, another female relative was shot dead.
“In February 2023, our headman, Nkosi Nkosiphendule Samela, was shot dead.
“Now the six Ncedo family members have been shot and killed. In the shooting, they use both rifles and pistols,” Mpindani said.
The elderly Ncedo said stock theft was rife in the village.
“Before my children were killed, on August 27 I had all my 94 sheep and 46 goats stolen from my kraal in one night. Now they have killed my family.”
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