The 4 men were ambushed and killed in a drive-by shooting in Ezakheni C-section on Friday night.

It is believed that just after 8pm, the victims – including a Tactical Response Team (TRT) officer and one of KZN’s most wanted men – were parked at the side of the road, seated in a car, when another vehicle approached. The occupants of the approaching car opened fire.

The parked car was riddled with bullets, killing all 4 occupants. “They had no chance to return fire; they were gunned down as they sat,” a police source confirmed, but asked not to be named. He also confirmed that all occupants of the parked car were heavily armed. “They were obviously caught by surprise.”

Ezakheni police and TRT officers responded to the scene.

Empty cartridges were scattered everywhere, and all 4 men in the vehicle were declared dead.

One of the victims, Thando Mabaso, was wanted for question in regards to the ‘October 11 Massacre’. A warrant for his arrest was issued.

The October 11 Massacre

On Saturday, October 11, a vehicle that was returning from a wedding was shot at on the Pieters road near Ezakheni. One female was killed and a further nine people were killed when a taxi that was seeking to avoid the shooting collided head-on with an oncoming truck. A few minutes later, at eRingini in Ezakheni, a total of five people were shot dead, while one person survived the attack.

The NIU (National Intervention Unit) has been deployed to the area, with fears of further escalations in the Mabaso-Gamede faction war.

Others arrested in the long-standing feud include that of alleged hit-man Themba Raphael ‘Kiniti’ Mvelase, who was caught on November  17, 2014.

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Willies Mchunu, responded with shock and disappointment to the news that four people had been shot and killed in Ezakheni, Ladysmith, on Friday night.

While the motive of the incident has not been established and remains a subject of police investigations, MEC Mchunu said on Saturday that he hoped it is not related to the long-standing village conflict involving the Mabaso and Gamede families, which has led to a number of deaths in the area.

“Details of Friday night’s killing are still scant. However, reports suggest that the deceased are from the Mabaso family.”

Last year, at least 27 people were killed in the area in separate incidents.

MEC Mchunu has appealed for calm and restraint while police investigate.

“We have convened several meetings and peace talks with all the concerned stakeholders in the area to put an end to these killings. It is therefore disappointing that four people have been killed when great strides have been made to resolve the conflict in the area. ”