A National Freedom Party member remonstrates with police patrolling Umlazis Unit 17 yesterday, where weekend clashes led to the deaths of two people and several houses and cars, right, being torched.
Parts of Umlazi remained tense yesterday, with a large police contingent deployed, after weekend clashes between IFP and NFP supporters claimed the lives of two people and led to 30 houses and three vehicles being torched.
Nicholas Themba Ngcobo, 51, was killed as people fired gunshots randomly at Unit 17 on Saturday evening. Cingiwe Margaret Mthethwa, 59, died of a heart attack as she watched her neighbour’s house being set alight.
Yesterday, a team of detectives set about tracing members of the mob responsible for the violence in which several people sustained injuries after they were shot at and assaulted with sticks.
The conflict led to the cancellation of the soccer match between Lamontville Golden Arrows and Black Leopards at the nearby King Zwelithini Stadium on Saturday evening.
Police Colonel Jay Naicker said the trouble had started when a group of people marched around the area, which is also known as T-section, on Friday evening, firing gunshots and assaulting people as they marched.
“Umlazi police and the Public Order Police unit responded and dispersed the group,” he said.
A National Freedom Party member remonstrates with police patrolling Umlazis Unit 17 yesterday, where weekend clashes led to the deaths of two people and several houses and cars, right, being torched.
Naicker said the group gathered again on Saturday morning, looting houses and setting a tuck-shop and houses alight.
The marchers were apparently protesting against the arrest of a local IFP leader accused of assaulting a young NFP supporter earlier this month.
He had accused the woman of wearing jeans in the area, where women wearing trousers and miniskirts are frowned upon. The area achieved notoriety a few years ago after a woman was assaulted, paraded naked through the district and had her home burnt down for wearing trousers.
It was also alleged that the marchers were demanding that NFP members vacate the T-section hostel.
The IFP lost control of the area, which used to be its stronghold, to the ANC in last year’s local government elections. This was after the IFP lost several members to the NFP.
Yesterday NFP members expressed fears for their safety. They said they had been left with what they were wearing after the attackers burnt all their belongings.
They said visits by NFP president Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi and IFP MP Albert Mncwango on Saturday had failed to calm the situation.
“While we were holding a meeting with IFP leaders, including Mncwango, we heard that people were toyi-toying again and had shot one of our members and burnt an NFP member’s house. This happened soon after KaMagwaza-Msibi left the area,” said the NFP chairman in Unit 17, Fana Sangweni.
Local IFP leader Sandile Nzama confirmed that the trouble had started when young members marched on Friday. He declined to say why they were marching.
“While they were marching, gunshots fired from the NFP area injured two of our members. This led to clashes,” he said, adding that NFP members were welcome to live in the area.
Community Safety and Liaison MEC Willies Mchunu called for an urgent meeting of NFP and IFP leaders and the police to find a solution to the tension.
