A wave of grief and terror swept through the Ezakheni township outside Ladysmith on Tuesday evening after unknown assailants opened fire from a moving vehicle in a brazen drive-by shooting, leaving four people dead and the community reeling in shock.
The attack occurred just after 7 p.m., when the area was still bustling with evening commuters, street vendors packing up their wares, and families returning home from work. According to police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nqobile Gwala, a silver hatchback with no license plates pulled alongside a group of men standing near a spaza shop on Mchunu Road, approximately 500 meters from the Ezakheni Plaza shopping center.
Without warning, multiple gunmen inside the vehicle unleashed a hail of bullets before speeding off toward the R74 highway, disappearing into the gathering dusk.
When the shooting stopped, four men lay sprawled on the blood-soaked pavement. Paramedics from Emer-G-Med arrived within minutes but could do nothing to save them. All four victims, aged between 25 and 35, were declared dead at the scene due to multiple gunshot wounds. A fifth victim, a 42-year-old woman who was selling roasted corn from a nearby stall, was struck in the shoulder and transported to Ladysmith Provincial Hospital in stable condition.
“I was inside my shack when I heard the shots—pop, pop, pop, pop—like firecrackers, but louder,” said Nombuso Dlamini, a 58-year-old resident who lives just meters from the shooting site. “When I came outside, I saw bodies. Young men. Just lying there. Their friends were screaming, trying to drag them to safety, but it was too late. I have not slept since. Every time I close my eyes, I hear the gunfire.”
The victims have not yet been officially named by authorities pending family notification, but community members have identified them locally as Sibusiso “Sbu” Ndlovu (28), Thando Mkhize (31), Bongani Zungu (26), and Vusi Dladla (33). All four were known to be friends and, according to neighbors, had recently returned to the township after spending several months working in Johannesburg.
“These were not gangsters,” insisted Themba Khumalo, a community leader who knew the victims personally. “These were boys who went to the city to find work. They came home to see their mothers. And now their mothers are planning funerals. This was an execution, plain and simple. Someone wanted them dead, and they didn’t care who else got hurt.”
Police have not yet established a motive, but early indications suggest the attack may be linked to an ongoing taxi feud or a broader retaliation between criminal networks operating between Ladysmith and the nearby Colenso area. Lieutenant Colonel Gwala confirmed that a manhunt has been launched and that a multidisciplinary task team, including forensic ballistics experts and organized crime detectives, has been assembled.
“We are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the shooting or who has information about the silver hatchback to come forward,” Gwala said. “We believe this was a targeted attack, but the brazen nature of it—in a public space, during peak evening hours—is deeply concerning. These perpetrators showed no regard for human life.”
The Ezakheni Plaza, normally a busy commercial hub, stood eerily quiet on Wednesday morning. Yellow police tape cordoned off the crime scene, and forensic teams in white suits could still be seen combing the pavement for shell casings. Several local businesses remained shuttered as owners feared further violence.
Community members gathered at the scene throughout the day, some weeping openly, others standing in silent rage. A makeshift memorial of candles and flowers began to grow at the spot where the four men fell.
“How many more?” asked Zanele Mkhize, a 45-year-old mother of three who lives two streets away from the shooting. “We are tired. Tired of the guns. Tired of the funerals. Tired of our children dying like animals in the street. The police say they are investigating, but we have heard that before. We want action. We want justice.”
The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government has condemned the attack, with MEC for Community Safety Sipho Hlomuka releasing a statement calling the shooting “a cowardly and senseless act of violence.” He has ordered additional police patrols in the Ezakheni area and promised that the province will offer a reward for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators.
Meanwhile, local councilor Mxolisi Ndlovu has called for an urgent community meeting to address the rising tide of gun violence in the Ladysmith region. “This is not the first shooting we have had this year,” Ndlovu said. “But it is the most brazen. We need to reclaim our streets. We need to work with the police. And we need to send a message that Ezakheni will not be a hunting ground for killers.”
As darkness fell again on Wednesday evening, the silver hatchback remained at large. And in the cramped shacks and concrete-block homes of Ezakheni, families locked their doors a little tighter, whispered prayers a little louder, and wondered who would be next.
About The Author
