Group demands payments for families of deceased

CIVIL organisation Justice for Phoenix Massacre Victims has called on the City of Durban to take responsibility for the failure to act swiftly during the recent KZN unrest.

The organisation also wants the government to foot the bill for the burial of bodies still at the Phoenix mortuary.

The group marched to the city hall on Thursday to present a memorandum of demands to mayor Mxolisi Kaunda.

But things turned sour on Friday when the City accused the group’s convener, Jackie Shandu, of hate speech and racism when he called for “one settler, one bullet, one Indian, one bullet”. Shandu has since withdrawn his remarks unconditionally.

Justice for Phoenix Massacre Victims wants perpetrators and accomplices in the alleged killings and assaults to be speedily subjected to the justice system for trial, conviction and sentencing. It has demanded that the SAPS, the municipality and metro police take responsibility for the failure to stop the killings over a number of days.

The group wants the government to cover burial costs, to set up a trust fund and provide reparations to the families of the deceased.

An overhaul of the municipal economic structure was on the list, with 50% of the municipal procurement spend expected to be allocated to black people. They also demanded that the municipality disclose the names of all contractors and consultants it currently employs, and to commit itself to employing staff according to demographic needs.

Phezukonke Mthethwa, the group’s spokesperson, said their investigations had confirmed that 37 families had lost their loved ones, and that about 40 bodies had not been identified.

“The most important thing is to bury these bodies.

“Most families have not been able to because they cannot afford it, they are jobless. Our call is for funeral parlours to come forward and meet the needs of the struggling families. That is an immediate intervention needed,” he said.

“When we went to the mortuary we met with a group of Tanzanian foreign nationals and they had three bodies. The likelihood is that there are other foreign nationals who have not been identified.”

Mthethwa condemned the killings, saying they were the worst form of hatred they had witnessed, where black people were treated as sub-humans.

“The number of those arrested is not enough. They organised themselves into vigilante groups made up of policing forums, reaction units and local thugs,” he said.

Natasha Kara, NPA regional spokesperson, confirmed that 10 suspects made their second appearance in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

Teslyn David, of Chris Gounden Incorporated, based in Phoenix, is the defence attorney for six of the accused. David told a radio station that the suspects had not been positively identified, rendering the arrests unlawful.

“We are suing the state for unlawful arrest and detention,” she said.

The law firm has also urged those who had been arrested for defending their property or community to come forward for free representation.