[WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT] Phoenix violence victim tells SAHRC how he was attacked, shot at during July unrest

A witness has continued to give evidence on the trauma they suffered in Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal. This as the hearings into July’s civil unrest by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) continue in Umhlanga, north of Durban.

Over 350 people died during the civil unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

Ntethelelo Mkhize from Ntuzuma, north of Durban says a group of people in Phoenix shot and hurled racial insults at him.

Mkhize and his friends were driving through the area when they were allegedly stopped, searched and later assaulted.

He says three of his friends died in the attacks.

“There was a time when they poked Nsele and inserted the firearm inside the mouth. At that stage, others were assaulting and hacking him. It [was] when this other fat Indian guy shot at Nsele. I tried to flee and the guy who shot Nsele shot me from the window side.”

“While this was happening, there were discriminatory words going on.”

Interpreter: Can you please tell the panel [the] uttered [words].

Mkhize: “Monkey, Zuma’s guy what are you doing here in Phoenix. We are going to kill you, all Zuma’s people.”

Below is the live stream proceedings: