Men broke into a home in the Tantseka village, Eastern Cape at midnight on Wednesday and opened fire, killing seven members of a family who had gathered there to mourn and bid a final farewell to the loss of a family member.
The relatives were allegedly assaulted by armed men who demanded R50,000 that had been paid out to the family by a burial society. The money had been paid out to the family by a burial society.
The final farewell turned deadly
Six members of the same family passed away at their residence, including members of the Mgxada family such as Nomasango Mkangeli and Notawuzile Fukuzana. A seventh victim, who has not yet been named, passed away while being transported to a hospital in Mthatha.
The group had gathered at their ancestral home, which is located within the Sithebe Administrative Area in Bityi, to grieve the loss of their relative Novotile Mgxada, 62, who had been killed by gunfire the previous week. During the attack, the group was mourning the loss of their relative.
The funeral for Mgxada was supposed to take place this coming Saturday, but it has been deferred in light of the massacre that took place earlier today.
Based on an internal police report that was viewed by News24, three armed men stormed the residence and demanded the money that had been given to the family by a burial society.
Mlamli Mgxada, the family’s spokesperson and also Novotile Mgxada’s husband, told the media he had no clue why the family had been targeted for a second time after the murder of his wife. Novotile Mgxada was the family’s spokesperson.
The gunmen were looking for burial money
“The week before last, they came and demanded to see me, but my wife refused to reveal to them where I was hiding from them. They ended her life by shooting her to death. They shot my grandson as well, but he pulled through after receiving medical attention in the hospital “he said.
Mgxada claimed that he had been hiding out in a remote area for the past few days out of fear for his life after discovering that he was the target of a manhunt by armed individuals for reasons that remained a mystery to him.
He disclosed that the assailants had demanded R50,000 prior to shooting seven of his relatives, which sum had been provided to the family by a burial society. He stated that the gunmen had complied with the demand.
Despite their best efforts, they had not been successful in locating it.
Mgxada stated that he did not believe that the deadly attacks were linked to this, despite the fact that the police report revealed that Mgxada was involved in a group that was fighting stock theft in the area and that this group is currently embroiled in infighting. The police report revealed that Mgxada was involved in this group.
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Eastern Cape police commissioner Major-General Thandiswa Kupiso reacted with shock to the incident and issued an order that all relevant policing units be assigned to investigate it. She also expressed her shock at the incident.
According to Kupiso, seven murder investigations have been opened and are currently being conducted by the Organized Crime Unit of the provincial police force.
The investigating officer, Colonel Mtshiyo, can be reached at this number: 071 475 2292. The police are requesting that anyone who has information that may lead to the arrest of the suspects get in touch with him as soon as possible. You can also share the information by calling Crime Stop at 08600 10111, which can be found here.
What does a burial society do?
A burial society is a type of informal financial organization or cooperative that provides financial assistance and support to its members in the event of a death within the community. The primary purpose of a burial society is to help members cover the costs associated with funerals and burials.
