Additional police members have been deployed to Pietermaritzburg following incidents of criminality.
This follows the brutal killing of eight people at Taylors Halt on Wednesday.
According to a police report, four men were repairing a vehicle, when another vehicle arrived and the occupants of the vehicle opened fire. Three of the four men, aged between 33 and 37 years, were fatally wounded.
The fourth victim, who was injured during the shooting, managed to escape and was taken to hospital for medical attention.
In another incident, five members of a family were attacked and shot at by unknown suspects at 8pm. Four women and a child were shot and fatally wounded while at their home.
About a kilometre away from the scene, a bakkie with bullet holes was found stationary on the road facing oncoming traffic. The 25-year-old driver of the bakkie was taken to hospital after he was shot and wounded.
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Khombinkosi Jula, condemned the brutal killings.
“It is very disturbing to learn that eight people were killed in such a brutal manner during two separate incidents at Taylors Halt. Information at hand indicates that these incidents could be because of a longstanding feud in the community,” Jula said.
Jula said cases of murder and attempted murders have been opened for investigation at Taylors Halt SAPS (South African Police Service).
“We have visited the area and are very disturbed by what we heard. I have instructed that additional deployments to be brought into the area immediately to deal with rampant criminality in the area.
“I have also directed that a dedicated investigation team hit the ground running and work non-stop until the culprits responsible for these callous murders are brought to book,” Jula said.
He has appealed to communities to refrain from using violence to address conflict. – SAnews.gov.za
