Chaos in Joe Slovo
Feuding amaXhosa and amaMpondo clash among shacks
FEAR and smoke hung thick in the air over the Joe Slovo informal settlement on Monday following a fight between amaXhosa and amaMpondo tribal groupings precipitated by the killing of a resident.
Residents who spoke to The Rep in the area claimed Vovo Ndlovu had received drugs from the amaMpondo group to sell and could not give them the R800 that was owed.
They said Ndlovu was then traced to his house in Unifound where he was beaten and then taken to a shack in Joe Slovo.
“After beating him, they wanted to take him away. His girlfriend tried to stop them and she was stabbed. They took him to a shack and hacked him to death,” one resident said.
He wanted to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation.
The incident allegedly happened on Sunday around 8pm.
The residents said the community felt pain for Ndlovu, “a sweet man who never participated in criminal activities”.
They said after the incident, the amaXhosa wanted to avenge Ndlovu's death which led to a confrontation and conflict between the two groups on Monday morning.
“The fight was serious because we want these people [amaMpondo] to leave. It is not the first time they have done this. If they don’t leave, they will not know peace here. We are waiting here for the police to leave and will start again from the beginning,” said one resident.
Sharp objects had been used in fights and six shacks had been set alight by Wednesday morning, with an uneasy peace reigning in the area since.
The Rep visited the area to speak to the amaMpondo, who are resident at the top end of Joe Slovo.
They said Ndlovu was murdered by some of them over drug money. Not all the amaMpondo were involved in the sale of drugs.
“We were not part of the incident, but our shacks have been burnt. We delegated people to go with police and apologise to the amaXhosa, but we have not had a response from them,” one man said.
A meeting was later called between the two groups and the police.
Present were cluster commander Major-General Sakhele Dyantyi, deputy cluster commander Brigadier Phumla Mavuka and Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality community safety political head Adele Hendricks. Addressing the crowds, Mlungisi station commander Colonel Gcinikhaya Taleni said a solution was needed.
Nkosikhona Zenyuse of the amaMpondo said the alleged murder was unfortunate and they apologised unreservedly.
“What these boys did was very wrong. If we had known in advance we would have told them not to do this. We have wronged you and we apologise.”
Sibongiseni Nkokheli said the rest of the amaMpondo were saddened by the act and had insisted the accused hand themselves over to the police.
“We know we have wronged you and we apologise,” he said.
Snezo Xhelisilo, speaking on behalf of amaXhosa, said the apology was welcomed.
“We want peace in this area and we accept the apology. However, enough is enough and we want them to leave this area.”
Taleni said the issue of the amaMpondo leaving the area was not for the police or community members to resolve. Ward councillor Anele Seyisi should take the matter to council for the response to be sent back to the people.
Seven amaMpondo members have been arrested for the alleged murder.
THE brutal death of a Joe Slovo informal settlement resident and the subsequent burning of six shacks rocked the area this week.
The violence between the amaXhosa and amaMpondo groupings was followed by The Rep senior reporter Zolile Menzelwa over the past few days.
He recalled: “On Monday afternoon, The Rep received a call about the burning of shacks and fighting in the Joe Slovo area. I rushed there and upon investigation discovered the conflict had started around 9am on Monday following the murder of a Xhosa man, Vovo Ndlovu, allegedly by a group of amaMpondo men on Sunday evening.
“A total of five shacks had been burnt, with four belonging to the amaMpondo and one to the amaXhosa. Just before 6pm, a meeting was called between the two rival groups. The amaMpondo apologised for the incident and the amaXhosa accepted the apology on condition the former left the area. The matter was sent for consultation.
“After 5pm, young women were seen carrying bags. The women, who seemed to be preparing to leave the area, told me they were going back to Lusikisiki as they feared for their lives.
“At 1.38am on Tuesday, I received a call that a sixth shack, belonging to one of the arrested men, had been set alight. I arrived at Joe Slovo at 2.05am, entering the area just behind a police vehicle.
“Two more vans arrived, but after a brief exchange with some amaMpondo women, the police left.
“Concerned about the situation, I tried to make several calls to the municipality and the police, reaching Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality political head for community safety Adele Hendricks at 2.33am.
“During this time, a group of amaMpondo men and women were sitting on the grass outside, wrapped in blankets.
“Police arrived in three vans at 3.48am, driving slowly past the group and turning to drive out of the informal settlement again. They arrived again at 4am and spoke to ward councillor Anele Seyisi, who was on the scene, before driving off again. I could not establish what the conversation was about.
“At 4.20am, two police vans returned to the scene and parked a distance away from the group. Seyisi approached the vans and stayed there until 5am, when The Rep left.
“Hendricks remained behind with Seyisi and the rest of the amaMpondo people.”