A Brown Wooden Coffin.
A Brown Wooden Coffin. Pavel Danilyuk/Pexels.com

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli on Monday condemned the brutal killing of five young men in the Bhambayi area of Inanda, north of Durban. The victims, aged between 19 and 26, were reportedly abducted from their homes around midnight.

Premier Ntuli has called for a fast and thorough investigation into the crime. He expressed that the killing of the young men is disturbing and unacceptable, SA News reported.

He said that these were young people who should have been celebrating their matric results or preparing for higher education. Ntuli expressed confidence that the South African Police Service (SAPS), led by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi in KwaZulu-Natal, would quickly find and arrest those responsible.

The premier also asked the community in Inanda and nearby areas to provide any information that could help the police find the perpetrators. Ntuli urged community safety structures and the public to work with the police and not protect criminals.

He emphasized the importance of bringing those responsible for such crimes to justice. Ntuli expressed concern about the high crime levels in Inanda, which has been identified as one of the most crime-affected areas in the latest third-quarter crime statistics.

He stressed that violent incidents like this hinder the government's efforts to create a safer environment for everyone.

Ntuli reaffirmed the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government's commitment to strengthening crime prevention strategies and improving cooperation between law enforcement and communities. He also extended his condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims during this difficult time.

The killings occurred early on Jan. 17 and shocked the local community. According to early police reports, officers were called in after hearing about multiple murders. They found three bodies at a local sports ground near a school.

Two more bodies were discovered one kilometer away in another open field. The bodies were found with several injuries, including one victim who had his arm chopped off. Police believe a bush knife was used in the attacks, but the motive is still unclear.

Last week, a shooting incident at a liquor store in Pienaar, Mpumalanga caused the death of six people at the scene and two others, a man and a woman, later died from their injuries in the hospital.

Read more