Fears are mounting that Inchanga, west of Durban, is fast-becoming a fertile ground for drug dealers. Two brothers suspected to be druglords have been gunned down. In another incident, a residence thought to house drug dealers, has been torched by residents.
Inchanga is a volatile village, owing to its political activism and violence. Fighting between the ANC and SACP is well-documented in this populous village. While that’s stabilising, drug-related crime has taken root. Residents say rival drug gangs are a menace. Two Radebe brothers, Senzo and Thabani, have been killed allegedly by another gang in what’s suspected to be a drug turf war.
The brother of the deceased, Sthembiso Ndlovu says the attackers came around midnight. He also says the culprits disguised and claimed that they were there to sell a laptop. Ndlovu adds that his brothers came under fire as soon as they unlocked the door.
“While I was in another room, I heard one of my brothers waking up and opening the door. There was commotion and the firing of shots. I stayed in my room until police arrived.”
Two kilometres up the winding main road, 31-year-old Mthobisi Mchunu is wobbling toward a well-known tavern. He’s been in and out of drug rehabilitation centres. Once he’s back on the streets, he finds it difficult to resist the lure of being high. He also deals in the deadly home-made drug Whoonga. Mchunu says he used to work for one of the deceased.
“I was terrorising this community. One day I was I attacked by the community and I ended being wheelchair bound. I am now able to walk. I used to work for the deceased and I was a runner for his drug business. There’s a huge market for drugs here so he was killed due to stiff competition in the area.”
In an area called Mngcweni in Inchanga, a homestead with three houses was recently been burnt down allegedly by angry community members. Four occupants, three brothers and their mother survived. They have since left the area.
Ward Four councillor, Malombo Nxumalo says drug-related crimes are a big concern.
“These people who are selling drugs and also to the Radebe family who were killed a day before yesterday; it’s not political motivated killing but just criminal one.”
The local rehabilitation NGOs dealing with drug addicts find it difficult to work in the area. They are often attacked by druglords who accuse them of taking away their clients and killing their booming business. Chairperson of Impumelelo Help Your Child To Progress Skhumbuzo Mthalane says that they know who the druglords are.
“To sit down and deal with drug dealers as we know them who are they. We know all of them. They are less than ten, but 90% of Inchanga kids use drugs because of that ten drug dealers.”
Inchanga residents have urged authorities to urgently arrest the situation before it gets out of control.
