Manhunt for KwaMashu hostel shooting suspects
Police are following up on some leads in the shooting and killing of five people at the KwaMashu Hostel, north of Durban this morning.
This is what the MEC for Community Safety Willies Mchunu has told media at a briefing at the Durban City Hall.
Mchunu says police presence in the area has been intensified while investigations continue.
He says access to the hostel continues to be a problem.
"Until we've rectified this problem of access control and rectified the administrative processes, we'll still be left with this problem in that area. Therefore, for us KwaMashu will be addressed. It is being addressed," he said.
Meanwhile, the relatives, friends and neighbours of some of the men shot and killed at the KwaMashu Hostel have spent the afternoon cleaning up the room in which the victims were shot dead early this morning.
Three of the victims died immediately while a fourth succumbed to his gunshot wounds while being treated.
Another man’s body was found a short while later outside the hostel.
Newswatch arrived at the hostel to find friends and relatives of the deceased using brooms and buckets of water to clean the bloody room that the men shared.
They also collected all the blood-soaked blankets and shoes in the small room and prepared to burn them.
They have refused to comment further nor be photographed saying they fear for their own safety.
In a separate incident about an hour earlier - three other people were also shot dead at the Brook Street taxi rank in the Durban CBD.
Police have already arrested 11 suspects in that shooting and have recovered 25 firearms, including R5 rifles, 9mm pistols and shotguns.
Police say it's unlikely that the two shooting incidents are related.
(Photos: Anelisa Kubheka)