Mourners in Ekurhuleni recently dumped a coffin at a police station in protest over how the local police are handling the recent murders of businessmen in the area.
Mourner Dump Coffin At A Police Station
The residents claim that the police haven’t taken sufficient action to address the killings. They hoisted the body of Happy Nyawuza, one of the victims, to the Ratanda Police Station in Ratanda, Ekurhuleni. The mourners, including members of Operation Dudula, uMkhonto we Sizwe, BLF, and Mazibuye KasiSpaza, marched from the Multipurpose Centre to the police station, carrying Happy’s coffin. They wanted to demonstrate to the police that they held them responsible for Happy’s death.
According to one activist, the police failed to properly investigate a text message received by Happy’s mother, which could have led to the arrest of the killers. This failure, they argued, contributed to Happy’s death.
Although they initially planned to enter the police station, the mourners ultimately decided to halt outside and load the coffin into a hearse.
Daily Sun reported that Happy was one of three businessmen shot dead in Ratanda, allegedly over foreign-owned businesses. Speakers at the gathering criticised the government’s inability to address the issue of undocumented foreign nationals and secure the country’s borders.
They remembered Happy as a community activist who fought for the rights of local people. His death, they claimed, symbolised the ongoing struggle for justice and liberation.
Spaza Shop Deaths
Happy was killed on 1 March by hitmen travelling in two cars while he was in one of the spaza shops he owned. The assailants also killed his cousin, Nkosinathi Gondo, in the same incident. The shop was reportedly frequented by foreign nationals.
The tension between locals and foreign shop owners escalated last year after a child died from consuming allegedly poisonous snacks bought from one of the shops. This incident led to the eviction of several spaza shop owners from Ratanda.
Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed that police were investigating four cases of murder related to the recent killings.