Lumkekela Mbula, the boys great-uncle, received a phone call on Sunday at around 21:15 telling him they think his brother’s grandchild is lying dead in Zabalala Street in Zone 6, an area at the back of Thembalethu known as Asazani.
A woman, who the community accuses of dealing drugs from her home in Zone 6, has been arrested in connection with the boy's murder and was to appear in the George Magistrates Court yesterday. Asazani resident, Thembakazi Ngondeka, said the accused arrived in the area at the end of November.
According to Lumkekela, the young man who accompanied Sinentlahla to the “tikhuis” was also taken into custody. "He told me from the back of the police van that they are usually allowed to pay the arrested woman's boyfriend later if they are short of cash. However, the boyfriend was not home at the time and the woman wanted them to wait for his return." Apparently the deceased was desperate and tried to run off with the tik. In the ensuing fight he was fatally stabbed. (Also see story alongside.)
Tik use is rife
Ndodana Mbula, the deceased’s grandfather, says that drugs are a big problem, especially in the schools. "The community will have to get involved. Young men dressed up as schoolchildren go to high schools in Thembahlethu to settle scores. This happened two weeks ago when a scholar was stabbed on the school premises at Imizamo Yethu and it will happen again if we do nothing."
Heart broken
The late Sinentlahla’s aunt, Pauline is heart broken because she buried her sister, the boy's mother, five months ago. "Now it will look as if I did not carry out my family responsibility to look after my sister’s children. When will the hard times and heart ache ever come to an end?"
His sister, Lusanda Mbula, said tik users steal anything, anywhere for drug money. "They take the stuff out of our homes and sell it. They go to town and come back with stolen goods that are given away just for the next fix." The future is bleak. “One thing is for certain. The drug pushers don’t allow their children to use the stuff that they push onto our families."
The family told the George Herald they were "not really" aware of the deceased's tik use. "He slept a lot and went out with friends at odd hours and returned home very late."
An Asazani resident said it's risky to speak out. "We are frightened. We see strange smart cars in our area and wonder what they are doing here. I just greet, nod my head and look straight ahead. My life is worth more than finding out the truth. If I am not mistaken, the wife of the man who now shares a house with the murder accused, is also in prison for some drug related offence."
People are scared
During the George Herald’s visit to the area on Tuesday to gather information, it was noticeable that those who stay next to or close to a 'tikhuis' profess to know nothing of a drug problem or where to buy drugs. The further you move away from the drug dealers' homes, the more people are prepared to talk and air their views.
Malizo Dayeni says just the name Asazani, which translated means “we do not know each other” sums up the dilemma. "We do not know where the tik comes from or who brings it in, although we think we know where it is sold and we are very worried. We actually do not know one another, so we do not know who to trust when we see things, so we keep quiet and pretend it doesn’t exist. Because we are a poor community with people from all over the country, nothing will happen until we have many more deaths so that the alarm can be raised to shock the authorities into action."
Come forward
Southern Cape Police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie said every complaint is followed up by the police. "Our biggest problem is that people are not willing to supply us with a written statement. To obtain a search warrant we must have a written statement. People must also specifically ask for the officer who channels the complaints about drug dealing to the correct unit. Combatting drugs is one of the provincial main focus areas."
The George Herald's investigation reveals that we have a significant amount of frightened, innocent people in George that are held captive by the curse of the drug lords. These shackles will have to be broken. The longer we wait, the greater the damage to the fabric of society. And yes, the problem is here. On our doorstep. Cape Town will soon have to give us some space on its podium as tik capital of the world.
The scene of the fatal stabbing and according to the Asazani community, a 'tikhuis'. Photos: Myron Rabinowitz
