Belfast might be a small town, but it is no stranger to unsolved violent murders.

As far back as 2016, Pierre de Necker was beaten to death by an angry mob with rocks and sticks.

It was alleged that De Necker stole a car and that the owner of the car, together with some of his friends, which included well-known businessmen, managed to trap him in a dead-end street. A photo of De Necker’s body was taken by one of his attackers and circulated on social media. No one was ever charged for his murder.

Fast forward to the present, and violent murders are still the order of the day, with police investigating four murder dockets opened in the past two weeks.

Colonel Donald Mdluli from the provincial police communication office said the first murder occurred outside a tavern on Saturday, October 2, when a man was stabbed to death. Three more fatal stabbings occurred over the past week.

Col Mdluli said that no suspects have been arrested and that the motives for the killings are currently unknown. He urged the community to come forward with information.

Information can either be given to the Belfast Detective Branch Commander, Capt. Tobias Mogadime, on 072 773 6453, or anonymously to the Crime Stop line 08600 10111 or on the police app MYSAPSAPP. Col Mdluli assured that all information will be treated as confidential and callers can opt to stay anonymous.

Gangs at war?

A local resident told www.mobserver.co.za that the murders are connected to gang clashes in Siyathuthuka.

Two gangs, the Tractor Gang and the Maboyeni Boys, have been at loggerheads for some time, and with retaliation, attacks are nothing strange. To add fuel to the fire, it is alleged that the Maboyeni Boys have now split in two and are warring with each other, as well as with the Tractor Gang.

It is alleged that eyewitnesses to the murders and those with valuable information are too scared to talk out of fear for their own lives.

Information that the gangs are used as ‘guns for hire’ in instances of intimidation where tenders and business opportunities are concerned, and that the gangs are somehow involved in the unlicensed gun trade, have also been received by www.mobserver.co.za but could not be verified elsewhere.

Belfast Crime Statistics on the rise

According to the latest quarterly crime statistics, only one murder has been committed in Belfast between April and June this year.

Attempted murder cases have risen from zero to five, and assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm is 244% higher after it jumped from nine to 31 cases compared to the same time last year.

Robbery with aggravating circumstances has skyrocketed by 1 900% from one case in the same quarter in 2020 to 20 cases this quarter.

Contact crimes in general, which includes all of the above, have increased by 264% from 25 in 2020 to 91 from April to June this year.

• It must be taken into account that recent lockdown regulations and especially the hard lockdown in 2020 might have had an impact on lower than usual crime statistics for that time.