Cele confirms 15 dead in Phoenix, community leaders to meet
Community leaders from Phoenix and its neighbouring townships met on Thursday morning after this week's unrest stoked racial tensions in the area.
Police Minister Bheki Cele said on Wednesday night to Newzroom Afrika, that 15 people had lost their lives in the area, north of Durban, since protests against the jailing of Jacob Zuma began last week.
"While the situation is bad, while everybody is suffering, while there has been problems of looting - the issues here has become to be some racial posture which is a dangerous thing if it is not taken care of, because it's Indian communities in Phoenix and neighbouring communities like Zwelisha who happens to be Africans. That is one thing that should be avoided."
READ: Phoenix community on 'high alert' after gunshots ring out
Community leader, Pastor Mervin Reddy also confirmed the death toll figure to Newswatch.
Reddy, says the looting and arson in the area have driven some community members to vigilantism.
"We have vigilantism that came up in Phoenix because people were not given proper leadership. Innocent lives were lost and I am baying witness to that. African lives were lost because they were walking into Phoenix. Indian lives were lost. Our little boy in Verulam was shot.”
Reddy and other leaders from surrounding areas are currently holding talks in the hopes of coming up with a peaceful solution and putting a stop to all criminality.
"Let us not start now to create divisions, let us not start now to create civil unrest. Let us restore the peace, the harmony and the civil society that we once lived in so peacefully and so harmoniously.
"So I am calling on religious leaders at a time like this let us pray, let us ask God to give each and every one of us wisdom to help normalise and calm the situation."
