Nhlanhla Mabaso12 October 2024 | 6:50

'This is still hurtful': Lusikisiki residents reeling from massacre and long-standing criminality

It has been two weeks since the gruesome killing of 18 relatives who were gathering to attend a family ceremony.

'This is still hurtful': Lusikisiki residents reeling from massacre and long-standing criminality

The funeral service for Ruth King, one of the 18 victims of the Lusikisiki massacre, was held on 11 october 2024. Picture: Nhlanhla Mabaso/Eyewitness News

LUSIKISIKI - Community members in Ngobozana village, Lusikisiki, where 18 people were killed in a mass shooting say safety is still a challenge in the area.

It has been two weeks since the gruesome killing of the relatives who were gathering to attend a family ceremony.

While police have arrested a suspect in connection to the massacre, community members said they still don’t feel safe.

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Community members in Lusikisiki said what was once a peaceful community is slowly becoming a high-crime spot in the Eastern Cape.

This followed the recent mass shooting of 18 relatives and several other killings that preceded it.

One community member told Eyewitness News that many people no longer feel safe and described the massacre as inhumane.

"This is still hurtful, most especially the killing of women, taking out a gun on women and killing them in cold blood."

Police have vowed to intensify the fight against crime in the area.

Most of the victims will be laid to rest on Saturday, with the remaining ones set to be buried on Sunday.