Issued by: ANC KwaZulu-Natal
23 June 2009
The African National Congress is shocked and saddened at the brutal attack of the Sikhakhane family in Greytown in the Ntembisweni area which left three family members including a four year old child dead.
The Sikhakhane family who are well known ANC activists in the area were attacked and killed in their home last night. Those who died included the grandmother of the household Gogo Agnes Sikhakhane, Mfaniseni Nkomo who is in his twenties and a four-year old girl Pamela Sikhakhane.
One of the other young boys in the family managed to escape from the attacks and fled on foot. Police are however still looking for his whereabouts.
As the ANC we express our deepest condolences to the family, relatives and friends of the Sikhakhane family. As the ANC, we believe that the brutal attacks on innocent people including a four year old child is cowardly and inhumane. As the ANC we condemn this act of barbarism.
Ntembisweni has become somewhat of a hotspot as many ANC members have been killed in the area. In 2006 a Ward Candidate Mosquito Mzila was also shot and killed in the same area. Most recently during the election season our member Vusi Gasa died after falling into a cliff whilst being chased by IFP members.
As the ANC we believe that the recent killings in Greytown have now reached a serious point. As the ANC we will request an urgent meeting with the MEC for Safety and Community Liaison to find out what measures police are putting in place to deal with the violence and attacks which appears to be escalating in the Greytown area. We urge all Law enforcement agencies to deal with the Greytown attacks with the utmost urgency to ensure the safety of our people.
We continue to appeal for calm in the community and ask that the people of Greytown work together with the police to ensure that law and order is restored in the area.
As the ANC we believe that both organisations the ANC and IFP should sit down to discuss the challenges arising from the killings in Greytown.
ISSUED BY THE ANC KWAZULU-NATAL
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT ANC ACTING PROVINCIAL SECRETARY SIHLE ZIKALALA 082 551 4945
OR
NOMFUNDO MCETYWA 072 2424 590