The murder of a young woman from Pietermaritzburg has been described as pure brutality.

Smangele Mkhize from KwaZayeka was found lying in a pool of blood outside someone’s gate in the area after being shot by an unknown person yesterday around 20:00.

It is alleged that she received a phone call, left home, and was later found dead.

Mkhize allegedly sustained multiple gunshot wounds to her left and right arms, chest, upper back, head, and on the left side of her breast.

Msunduzi Municipality Ward 2 councillor Babashane Ntuli urges the police to play their part, in terms of doing a thorough investigation and finding the culprits, to avoid an issue where the community takes the law into their own hands.

“This brutal murder is such a disgrace. As a councillor, I am against the killing of people, especially women. The killing of innocent people is a type of sabotage. A young girl being killed like this is a pure shame. As a community, we need to hold hands. The police cannot fight crime alone. The community must assist in giving the police information that will assist us in finding suspects.”

Bhekizitha Makhathini says as community members, they are reeling in shock following this incident.

“This incident has also left us fearing for our lives as we don’t know the reason behind this shooting.

“The worst part is that we don’t even know the suspects. We appeal to the police to conduct regular patrols in the area so criminals don’t do as they please. Most criminal activities are conducted during the night. Police visibility will assist a lot,” he says.

Local Induna

Local Induna Phendulani Ndlovu says the murder has ‘painted a bad picture about our area’.

“It has left people shaken. I think having a private security company safeguard our area can assist. We are surrounded by areas that already have this system in place, and we are scared that the criminals will now target our area since we don’t have a similar system in place.”

Police spokesperson Sergeant Sifiso Gwala says a murder case has been opened for investigation.

“This incident is very concerning. We always have campaigns aimed at curbing gender-based violence (GBV). We appeal to the members of the public who might have information to assist the police in terms of finding the culprits,” adds Gwala.