19 July 2015

It is not known why Thandayiphe Cwele visited the traditional healer at the informal settlement near Glebelands Hostel today. But whatever the reason, it was a very bad decision. Cwele had survived two other attempts on his life, received threats, had to flee his officially allocated room and allegedly suffered police torture.

At around 13h00 today, as he was returning to Glebelands, he was attacked and chased by an unknown gunman. As he ran across the road a bullet struck him in his left shoulder, exiting near his heart. He fell and died instantly at Glebelands’ entrance. Witnesses claim Cwele seemed to recognise his killer just before he opened fire.

In September 2014, Cwele was shot at close range between Blocks J and K, allegedly by an eMagabheni hitman hired by the notorious hostel warlord. At the time he tried to defend himself and managed to wrestle a homemade firearm away from his attacker. The gun apparently went off during the struggle, injuring his attacker. For his pains he was charged with attempted murder. The investigating officer in this instance has been implicated in many cases that appear to have been riddled with irregularities and highly questionable police conduct. The same officer was believed to be involved in the torture of a female resident in October last year. It is rumoured he is one of the police officers who enjoy a close ‘working’ relationship with the infamous warlord. His name is well known. The case against Cwele was eventually withdrawn and the hitman was acquitted of the charges that Cwele had laid against him.

Subsequently it was reported that Umlazi SAPS officers (an officer has been named) visited Cwele’s room several times and accused him of possession of an unlicensed firearm. During these visits the police allegedly vandalized his property, teargased, assaulted and tortured him. According to the community, Cwele never owned a gun.

He also reported he received threatening phone calls from the warlord’s men. The thugs also visited his room early this year but were unable to find him.

At around 10h30 on Thursday 8 May, Cwele was arrested with another resident on charges of armed robbery. They were held in custody at the Umlazi Police Station without being charged until Monday 10 May. Sources claim that the warlord had visited the Block 42 robbery victim and forced him to identify Cwele and his friend as the perpetrators. When they were released, the police reportedly informed them that there had been insufficient evidence. Cwele lost several days’ pay as a result of this seemingly baseless detention. At the end of the month, Cwele was reportedly attacked again by the warlord’s thugs.

Cwele (aged 55) left a wife and five children, although it is believed he was supporting thirteen people in total. His two eldest children shared his room at Glebelands so that they could be near a good school. His eldest son failed last year after the police tortured him. Today, they were returning after visiting their mother in southern KwaZulu-Natal to resume their studies at the end of the school holidays. They will return to an empty room, their father blown away by the hatred and heartlessness of the hostel killers.

So where were the police – apart from the many units crawling the vicinity after Cwele was shot, when it was too late? Where were the static deployments at Jeena’s, Reunion, MegaCity and other killing hotspots, requested of the SAPS Provincial Commissioner on 8 June? At what stage are the Provincial Task Team’s investigations into all these killings? Where is justice for Glebelands? When will it end?

* Vanessa Burger is a South African Community Activist: 0828477766 / [email protected]

* THE VIEWS OF THE ABOVE ARTICLE ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE PAMBAZUKA NEWS EDITORIAL TEAM

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