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SAPS confirms Umlazi shooting was not random: community urged to assist in investigations

SAPS confirms Umlazi shooting was not random: community urged to assist in investigations
Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu (Photo: Gallo Images / Volksblad / Mlungisi Louw)
Kara le Roux
By Kara le Roux
18 May 2025
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Eight people were gunned down in Umlazi’s Zama informal settlement in what police have confirmed was a targeted attack. As the manhunt continues, the Ministry of Police insists the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has confirmed that the killing of eight people at the Zama informal settlement in Umlazi on Friday, 16 May was not a random act of violence.

Six men and two women, aged between 22 and 40, were found with multiple gunshot wounds inside a single dwelling. All eight were killed on the scene. 

“It is reported that the victims were inside the dwelling when an unknown number of suspects entered and opened fire, killing them at the scene,” the SAPS said.

KwaZulu-Natal’s mass shooting crisis


The mass shooting follows a similar incident on 4 February 2025 when a mass shooting at a tavern in Mandeni, north of Durban, left four people dead, including two off-duty police officers, EWN reported. 

KwaZulu-Natal continues to report high levels of gun violence. According to SAPS’s third-quarter crime statistics (October to December 2024), the province recorded a murder rate of 12.6 per 100,000 people. 

Umlazi and Inanda were among the 10 stations with the highest reported murders nationally. 

The province also recorded 144 victims of multiple murders during this period. Firearms were the most commonly used weapons in murders across both the province and the country. In 2024, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu expressed concern about the proliferation of illegal firearms as a contributor to the rise in mass shootings.

Umlazi shooting Mchunu Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu (Photo: Gallo Images / Volksblad / Mlungisi Louw)


Confirmed targeted hit


While investigations are still under way, early indications are that the suspects knew who they were targeting.

Read more: The year of the bullet — South Africa rocked by mass shootings in 2023

“They did not just shoot anybody. They knew who they were looking for,” said KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda. “There’s a motive behind the incident… We are trying to find out what that motive is.”

Netshiunda confirmed that a dedicated team had been appointed to the case.

Minister condemns ‘cold-blooded’ crime


Mchunu issued a strong condemnation of the killings on Saturday and called for public cooperation with law enforcement.

“The attack, which claimed the lives of innocent individuals, is a horrific act of violence that has no place in our society,” he said. “We condemn this heinous crime in the strongest possible terms. Such calculated and cold-blooded violence tears at the fabric of our communities.”

Read more: Umlazi — the KZN township haunted by rampant nightly gunfire and morning-after body count

He added: “We call on members of the community to stand together with law enforcement during this time. If you have any information – no matter how small – that may assist in identifying or locating the perpetrators, we urge you to come forward.

Ministry spokesperson Kamogelo Mogotsi said there is a tracking team in KwaZulu-Natal that is “more than capable” of finding and arresting the suspects.

About the progress in the case, she said: “Investigations are under way, the public will be updated in due course of any developments in the case.”

Residents assured


While no arrests have yet been made, the ministry said the police are working to solve the case and restore a sense of security in Umlazi.

Read more: KZN: Umlazi gripped by fear after 11 gunned down in two hits

“We want to assure communities that the SAPS is hard at work on this case and other cases in Umlazi. We will get to the bottom of this and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book. The SAPS remains committed to protecting the people of Umlazi and we urge them to also work with us,” Mogotsi said.

She also confirmed that the attack was a targeted shooting: “Police had no knowledge of any threats in the area. Indications are that the shooting was targeted to certain individuals, not the community at large.”

Mogotsi emphasised that similar cases had been solved: “In the previous mass shooting in the province, police managed to make breakthroughs and arrested suspects. It’s just a matter of time before the suspects responsible for this shooting are brought to book.” DM

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