‘Musicians feud’ claims lives of four people

Police investigate link to Lesotho nationals

Four people were killed and eight injured in two Saturday morning shootings near Ficksburg in Free State.

The gunmen‚ who were concealed with blankets‚ first opened fire on mourners holding a night vigil in a tent, before they stormed a house nearby.

Police are now investigating whether the killings‚ which occurred in the Meqheleng area close to the Lesotho border‚ could be linked to an ongoing feud between musicians from Lesotho and South Africa.

Free State police spokesperson Brigadier Sam Makhele said the motive for the killings was not known yet. “What we do know‚ and what detectives are looking at as a possible link‚ is that there is an ongoing feud in the area between musical recording groups from Lesotho and Gauteng,” said Makhele.

“Investigations will look into whether the feud has had a role in the shootings or not and whether the two shootings can be linked.”

Makhele said the first shooting occurred when gunmen stormed a tent in which mourners were holding a night vigil. “Two people in the tent were killed and six were wounded. An hour later, gunmen attacked a nearby house where they killed another two people and wounded two others.”

He said the identities of the gunmen were still unknown. “Given the attire that they [the gunmen] were wearing‚ we are investigating whether they could be from Lesotho.”

A specialised team of detectives and crime intelligence officers is investigating the shootings, said Makhele, noting that the presence of police in the area has been beefed up.