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Durban, South Africa—— For 45-year-old Philisiwe Ngcobo, when the sun went down and her 34-year-old brother Bhekinkosi Ngcobo had not yet returned home, a serious anxiety began to spread.
“My brother left our house around 6 pm to find fuel in Phoenix; when he didn’t come back, we started looking for him everywhere,” Ngcobo said. “The next time I see my brother is in the morgue.”
On July 12, her brother was brutally beaten to death and his car was burned beyond recognition.
Violent protests, riots and robberies Shocking South Africa Over a week in July, more than 300 people were killed and hundreds of businesses were destroyed.
During the riots, historical ethnic tensions between African and Indian communities erupted in Phoenix, a predominantly Indian town located on the outskirts of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal.
according to Official reportAfter that, Indian residents in Phoenix and surrounding areas formed a self-defense force to protect their property. Allegedly, these groups were equipped with semi-automatic rifles, machetes and pistols, illegally set up roadblocks and burned tires to prohibit entry into their areas.
Police Secretary Bheki Cele said at a press conference in Phoenix on August 3 that these measures had spawned “heinous crimes and racism, leading to brutal killings and injuries, terrible property losses, and unspeakable suffering. And trauma”.
During the riots, 36 people died in Phoenix.
Bhekinkosi Ngcobo left his home in Phoenix to find fuel but never returned [Courtesy: Ngcobo family]Neighbors who were with Ngcobo’s brother and survived the terrible attack told Ngcobo that there were 15 to 20 attackers and claimed that two police officers were standing by when the attack occurred.
Ngcobo was still staggered and angry because of the loss. No one has been arrested for homicide. But she hopes the police who allegedly witnessed the crime can help.
“I want them to point out the murderer of my brother,” she said.
According to Chief of Police Sele, 33 people were arrested for the killings that occurred during the Phoenix riot week. He said that a 31-member detective team is working with a team of prosecutors to ensure justice for the lives lost in Phoenix.
“Police investigation found that 36 people were killed in Phoenix, 30 were shot, 2 were burned, 1 was stabbed, and 1 was crushed,” he said.
However, community activists insist that the actual death toll is almost twice the official death toll.
Jackie Sando, organizer of the Phoenix Massacre Victims Justice Community Organization established after the violence, Sources claiming to be in the Phoenix Mortuary told them that at least 74 people were murdered during the riots.
“We can’t disclose the names of the morgue workers for the time being, but the actual numbers are surprisingly high,” Shandu said.
A grassroots group composed of victims’ families and community members recently marched to Durban City Hall to demand justice and systemic change.
“The apartheid heritage makes Indians higher than Africans in the economic hierarchy of this society, and this has laid the foundation for Indians to look down on us-not only in Durban, but throughout South Africa,” Santo said.
“We not only hope to provide compensation for families who have lost their loved ones, but we also hope that blacks will be substantively tolerated financially.”
In South Africa, inter-ethnic economic inequality is still evident. According to a report released by the South African Bureau of Statistics in February 2020, the average monthly salary of black South Africans is R6,899 (US$469), Rs 14,235 (US$967) for South Africans, and R24,646 (US$1,674) for white South Africans. .
According to Shandu, the traumatic incident of racial violence in Phoenix has left many survivors facing poverty.
“What we see is that many survivors have suffered life-changing injuries. A man’s hands were chopped off,” Shandu said.
KwaZulu-Natal police said they are still investigating 52 attempted murders, 16 assaults with intention to cause serious bodily harm, and 9 ordinary assaults caused by riots in Phoenix and surrounding areas.
After the violence that swept the entire community, 26-year-old Gcina Yandeni quit her job as a domestic worker in an Indian family in Phoenix on July 12. She described the man she worked for as “bloody.”
According to Yandeni, in response to stories of robberies and riots, the Indian community in Clayfield, Phoenix, set up a WhatsApp group and named it “Neighborhood Watch”, which was the night when her area became vigilant.
“At around 7 in the evening, my boss went to a meeting where more than 200 Indians gathered; they soon separated, and my boss came in to get his gun,” Yandeni said.
“He looks excited; his eyes look crazy.”
Yandeni claimed that her former employer later boasted that he had joined the big group and then went to the gas station, where they blocked the road with burning tires and big rocks, and told “anything black, even black dogs.” Fire.
Police in the gunfire
The 25,000 members of the South African Defence Force are still deployed in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces, and calm on the streets of Phoenix seems to have restored.
But many people believe that the government and the police have been seriously inadequate in responding to the violence and unrest that occurred.
On July 12, Ntwenhle Mhlongo’s 19-year-old son, Sanele Mngomezulu, was shot and killed while driving with a friend-allegedly by a security guard. His body was dumped on the side of Terrance Park Avenue in Phoenix.
According to Mhlongo, the police provided little information about the investigation and did not tell her if she was arrested for the murder of her son.
“They have been talking about property, but my son was looted,” Mlongo said. “I just want to get justice for my son.”
Allegedly, 19-year-old Sanele Mngomezulu was shot and killed by police [Photo courtesy of Ntwenhle Mhlongo]South African public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane told Al Jazeera in a telephone interview that the authorities had acted too slowly.
“Once personal descriptions of racial profiling and targeted attacks began to emerge, the police could have taken a variety of preventive measures, such as increasing the visibility of the affected areas,” she said.
Mkhwebane added: “There are some videos showing black people being shot and killed by people wielding illegal guns, but nothing has been done to stop this vigilance.”
In addition to allegations of lax response to the police, Mkhwebane also accused the mainstream media of largely failing to report on ethnic violence.
“At the most urgent time, the media failed to become the voice of marginalized groups,” she said.
Lirandzu Themba, a spokesman for the police department, told Al Jazeera that a full investigation has been launched into police behavior and reactions during the riots.
Themba said: “We are aware of the police response and some allegations that private security companies were involved in the violence in Phoenix, and we are investigating all issues.”
A senior police officer of the Chatsworth Police Department in Durban, who asked not to be named, told Al Jazeera: “Sometimes circumstances do not allow us to fight criminals head-on, but now that we have resources, we are moving quickly to arrest criminals.”
The police officer Black said he was not there when the violence occurred due to concerns for his safety.
“Many of us are afraid that they will kill us too. They don’t care about uniforms; they saw a black man,” he said.
‘We just want justice’
On July 24, the day Ngcobo rested her brother, community members filled the capacity of the funeral venue.
“My brother was murdered mercilessly. We just want justice. We want to shut down,” an enthusiastic Ngcobo told nearly 100 people present.
“Lawlessness prevails, and now we are on the other side of the mountain, falling into deeper despair.”
The organizer of the Peace Committee, Chris Biyela, is composed of community members from Phoenix and surrounding areas. He said that in order to truly restore peace, criminals involved in law and order must be held accountable for the bloodshed.
“Many senseless killings have been recorded; the police must use these videos as evidence to bring criminals to justice. Black people want peace in the community. But first, we want justice.”
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