BY: Vuyo Cebekhulu
A security guard was killed while on duty by criminals who wanted to get inside the
cottages forcefully where students from University of Zululand stay in KwaDlangezwa Area, on Friday, 05 April 2024 in KwaZulu- Natal.
This group of criminals are well known in the area by the name of “AMADABUKA” are from the very same area of KwaDlangezwa. It is said that these criminals were trying to get inside the cottages where students live in to rob them their belongings. The security guard had an argument with these criminals whereby they wanted to enter the cottages forcefully, the security refused, and they pulled out a gun and fired a shot on him and they got inside when he was down.
It is reported that almost 15 cottages were robbed, they took all their valuable belongings like cellphones and laptops. The blame is put on landlords of the cottages that they fail to put the safety of the students first and set in the high security for them because they know that they must get trained securities for them.
Colonel Robert Netshiunda commented, “Police in Mtunzini are investigating cases of murder and house robbery following an incident in which a caretaker of cottages was allegedly shot and killed at the Mhlathuze area on Friday night”.
It is reported that three suspects whose faces were concealed with balaclavas entered inside a room in the cottages and robbed two men of their laptop and cellphone. The suspects reportedly continued to the other room where they also robbed another man of his cellphone.
After the suspects had fled from the crime scene, the victims reportedly went to the caretaker’s room to report the incident, only to find him lying in a pool of blood with a gunshot wound. Suspects are unknown at this stage and a manhunt for them is underway.
The SRC of the University of Zululand, Talent Ngubane also stated,” Allow me to clarify this first. Most of our students prefer to stay in university owned residences or on private accommodations (NSFAS Accredited accommodations), however due to a shortage of these residents, some students ended up staying at emqashweni, which are unsafe and insecure. It is difficult for the university or the SRC to compel landlords to enhance their accommodations in terms of safety and security because we lack jurisdiction over them”, he said.
Talent Ngubane continued, “For years, the issue of Amadabuka has persisted at KwaDlangezwa, and there are still no permanent answers. Our idea as the SRC is to hold a meeting with all university stakeholders, which will include the University management, ward councilors, SRC, Municipality authorities, landlords, the Mkhanazi tribal authority and other relevant stakeholders. The purpose of the gathering would be come up with ideas and strategies on how the issue of high crime rate can be stopped at KwaDlangezwa. Other interventions would be a Police station at KwaDlangezwa that will assist in fighting the crime. As the SRC we propose that these landlords must jointly pay for a private security company that will patrol around their accommodation on daily bases. We also urge the Mkhanazi Chief to command and instruct his/her people to build accommodations that have enough capacity of providing security for students. Theseaccommodations must have armed securities”.
Mr. Ntuthuko Makhanya Cllr of The City of Mhlathuze, also commented that the landlords of the cottages are careless of the safety of the students staying there because they know that the students need to be always safe, but instead they enjoy chowing the money that they receive.
”There has been almost three community meetings held after the death of a student by the hand of the Amadabuka in the past years. On these meetings the talk was mostly about the landlords not taking responsibility in getting high security to guard students day and night to ensure their safety,” he said.
