‘When I was hit, I couldn’t run so I played dead’ — mass shooting survivor

“They murdered my comrades, they left us injured and traumatised ... there was no mercy.”

 Thobile Mhlekwa, 57, still does not know how he survived the mass killing at Godini village, near Tina Falls just outside Qumbu on Sunday night, when six of his fellow community patrollers were shot dead. 

Four others, who were wounded in the late-night shooting spree, were taken to hospital. 

“We will never surrender.

“This is a war, and they’d better kill us all as we will continue protecting our livestock,” said Mhlekwa.

He was wounded in the attack, which happened on the same day police minister Senzo Mchunu was in Lusikisiki to attend the memorial service for 18 people massacred there the previous week.

Mhlekwa cried uncontrollably as he spoke of how his friends died in a hail of bullets inside a Qumbu primary schoolyard which the patrollers used as a base.

“Our brothers died protecting their livestock from criminals. They were soldiers who died with their boots on and their struggle continues.”

When the Dispatch visited Godini on Tuesday, community members were cleaning blood from the schoolyard, with teaching expected to resume on Wednesday.

Though national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola visited Godini on Monday, assuring residents police had solid leads on the attack, the villagers were gripped by fear.

Masemola said stock theft disputes were thought to be behind the killings.

The attack was the second mass killing in the OR Tambo district, following the Lusikisiki massacre on September 28.

Mhlekwa said: “We were a group of about 25 men ... We were about to deploy ourselves to strategic positions in the village.

“Another group of patrollers was already at the base.

“As we were about to go out, we heard gunshots outside the yard and as we went out we were met with a hail of bullets.

“The shooters were positioned in strategic positions. They knew which classroom we were inside and our escape route.

“Some youthful members managed to escape but the middle-aged and the elders were not so lucky.

“They were gunned down in cold blood.”

Mhlekwa was shot as he tried to run away.

“I jumped over the dead bodies. They were using big guns, like R1 rifles.

“When I was hit, I couldn’t run so I played dead,” he said.

His cousin, Fezekile Mhlekwa, 57, was among the six dead.

The other victims were local sub-headman Akhona Sotshongaye, 40, his father David Mbabaza, 65, Amos Sombaba, 71, David Marholi, 52, and Aphelele Mbali, 27.

Mbabaza’s other son, Siyabonga, 27, is among those fighting for their lives.

Gilindoda Sotshongaye said David Mbabaza died on his way to the hospital.

“He phoned me as I was with the other group, saying people were dying and we must call for help and an ambulance.

“When we arrived at the school some people had already died, but David was still alive but in pain.

“We phoned police and rushed him to Dr Malizo Mpehle Hospital in Tsolo where he was certified dead,” said Sotshongaye said.

Mthetheleli Sotshongaye said: “Last year they stole 30 goats from my kraal. In March this year they stole eight more. They've stolen more than 50 sheep from me since last year.” 

He said his brother had lost many cattle and sheep.

“First in my brother’s homes, they stole five cattle in 2017, 14 in 2018; nine this year. They stole 75 goats, 32 this year; in 2023 they stole 68 goats. Nobody has been arrested in all those cases,” he said.

The patrols started in March an an attempt to combat the stock theft.

President Cyril Ramaphosa offered his condolences to the families of the victims and wished the survivors a speedy recovery.

“Our thoughts are with the families of these community members who died in the course of playing their part to keep their area safe ...

“However, it should also add to our resolve to stop criminals from terrorising communities in the mistaken belief that they’re untouchable.”

The president welcomed the intensive police investigation into the killings.

Eastern Cape ANC communications head Gift Ngqondi called for the Tactical Response Team and National Intervention Unit in Qumbu to hunt down the culprits “who are the enemy of our democratic state and our communities”.

Premier Oscar Mabuyane sent a high-level delegation of officials, led by provincial deputy director-general Mahlubandile Qwasa, to the area.

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