KZN police deny involvement in Glebelands killings
KWAZULU-NATAL police have denied allegations of involvement in the unsolved killings, intimidation and attempted murders at notorious Glebelands Hostel in uMlazi, south of Durban.
Former uMlazi police cluster commander Major-General Dumezweni Chiliza led a high level delegation from the police to the Moerane Commission, which is probing the underlying causes of the murder of politicians in the province.
Police had come under fire when community activists told the commission that officers were ineffective and allegedly complicit in the violence.
The allegations included colluding with a councillor in carrying out unlawful evictions malicious arrests without thoroughly investigating, involvement in some cases and not being politically independent.
Previous testimony alleged that a policeman, who was a resident, recruited, housed and supplied arms to hitmen.
“Police are apolitical. We are also accountable to elected politicians in government from the minister to the portfolio committee on police. When information comes to our disposal, we can’t not act. On the accusations of police brutality, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate may be best positioned to answer that.”
Chiliza said clashes began after some ANC members who had defected to Cope after the 2009 general elections and rejoined the ANC, accused the ward councillor of giving jobs at a development at the hostel to his friends.
The group staged marches against the councillor and ran a parallel structure (Mthembu group). Chiliza said violence escalated in 2014 when a second group emerged (Hlophe) and a feud ensued.
“We can’t say what’s going on at Glebelands is political, it’s more criminal. It’s a territorial fight between two groups. Before the emergence of the Hlophe group, crime was decreasing – 24 murders were committed between 2010 and 2014. But in 2014/2015 financial year, 18 murders were committed, 17 took place in 2016.”
He told commissioners that the warring groups were self-appointed leaders who would not let go of power unless the eThekwini Municipality regulated the hostel.
“Those who control the hostel will not let go because it is a lucrative business. There is the selling of bed spaces and collections of money.”
Chiliza admitted when probed further by evidence leader Mthokozisi Ngcobo that failure to stop the phenomenon of selling beds and unlawful evictions led to it becoming a lucrative business, subsequently sustaining the violence.
“There was unwillingness from residents to come forward with information because they feared being killed, being witnesses or to enter the witness protection programme because the modus operandi of the groups is that once police closed in on them, they will accuse them of working with the other group so that they are moved out,” Chiliza.”
He said this also eroded trust between the police and the community.
“One can deploy 1 000 policemen at Glebelands but the killings will continue due to factors such as the design of the hostel, there are dark passages, that is a recipe for disaster.”