Moerane Commission: Will the truth become a casualty of political expediency?

17th April 2018 Vanessa Burger 0

The Moerane Commission concluded its work on 18 March and has until the end of April to submit its report and recommendations to the Premier, Willies Mchunu. After that it will be tabled for discussion at provincial level, go back to the Commission for final amendments, and only after that, it might be made public. The Premier’s office initially stated that it would not release the report, then it stated that “no decision not to release the report has been made” following a public outcry.

City ‘satisfied’ with Secureco hitmen

12th February 2018 Vanessa Burger 0

Two Glebelands residents and employees of the politically connected private security company, Secureco METSU, contracted by the eThekwini Municipality to provide security at the hostel, have been implicated in at least 7 Glebelands murders and a further 3 attempted murders – Sivuyile Luna, whose trial for the murder of a Glebelands woman in Jan 2017, was remanded to February this year and Bongani Mbhele, for whom police recently issued a ‘wanted’ statement. Luna was a Block 52 resident while employed to undertake armed patrols at the hostel. Mbhele has been employed by Fidelity (Secureco’s holding company) since at least 2011, and although he did not perform guarding duties at the hostel, he is believed to have murdered at least 5 people by the time he was first arrested (and later released) in September 2015.

Political killings are a reflection of a violent society

8th December 2017 Ramatamo Sehoai 0

A recent SALGA report and the Moerane Commission have both shone a light on the pervasiveness of violent contestation over leadership positions in municipal and party-political forums. They also revealed how the inter and intra-party contestation for political office has had lethal consequences.

100 Dead but no end in sight at Glebelands (Part 2)

6th December 2017 Vanessa Burger 0

Since the killing began in March 2014, 100 people have died in Glebelands Hostel-related violence – either violently from hitmen’s bullets; or more slowly, from stress-induced illnesses caused by the fear of living daily in the shadow death. With a death toll now reaching almost four times the number of people killed at Marikana – which evoked worldwide outrage, political humiliation, commissions of inquiry and support groups – it is instructive to reflect on the state and society’s response to Glebelands’ ongoing slaughter.

100 Dead but no end in sight at Glebelands (Part 1)

5th December 2017 Vanessa Burger 0

Since the killings began in March 2014, 100 people have died in Glebelands Hostel-related violence – either violently from hitmen’s bullets, or more slowly, from stress-induced illnesses caused by the fear of living daily in the shadow of death. With a death toll now reaching almost four times the number of people killed at Marikana – which evoked worldwide outrage, political humiliation, commissions of inquiry and support groups – it is instructive to reflect on the state and society’s response to Glebelands’ ongoing slaughter.