A man accused of knifing another to death is expected to appear in the Mooi River Magistrate's Court as tensions remain on the boil between township residents and hostel dwellers in the KwaZulu-Natal town where hundreds have been left homeless.
The situation remained tense in Bruntville township yesterday after violence broke out between the groups of residents at the weekend.
The violence was sparked by the killing of Lindokuhle Mabuza, 22, a township resident, who was allegedly stabbed by a 26-year-old hostel resident after an argument on Sunday morning.
Mabuza was stabbed once in the heart and died on the scene.
Bruce Mayi, a friend of the deceased and a witness, said there was always tensions between township and hostel residents.
After the killing, township residents went on the rampage, attacking hostel dwellers and burnt down part of their residence .
Hostel resident Lindelani Sithole said his spaza shop, car and equipment for his small security company were destroyed.
He claimed the hostel was attacked because ANC supporters in the area believed that the hostel was an IFP stronghold.
"We were aware that the hostel was going to come under fire this Easter and we wrote a letter warning the Mooi Mpofana municipality mayor Maureen Magubane about it, but nothing was done.
"We just hope that the situation will return to normality so that we can all resume our lives," he said.
The violence has left 245 hostel residents homeless.
Magubane said hostel residents would be accommodated in halls and municipal properties.
Police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane said police officers were monitoring the situation in the area and they had separated the warring factions.
"A case of arson has been opened after the burning down of the hostel but nobody has been arrested so far," he said, declining to comment on whether the violence was taking a political dimension and becoming an ANC vs IFP strife.
The violence has sparked fears of a return of the violence of the 1980s and early 1990s when thousands of people died in clashes between rival political parties in the province.
Fears over 'political war'
A man accused of knifing another to death is expected to appear in the Mooi River Magistrate's Court as tensions remain on the boil between township residents and hostel dwellers in the KwaZulu-Natal town where hundreds have been left homeless.
The situation remained tense in Bruntville township yesterday after violence broke out between the groups of residents at the weekend.
The violence was sparked by the killing of Lindokuhle Mabuza, 22, a township resident, who was allegedly stabbed by a 26-year-old hostel resident after an argument on Sunday morning.
Mabuza was stabbed once in the heart and died on the scene.
Bruce Mayi, a friend of the deceased and a witness, said there was always tensions between township and hostel residents.
After the killing, township residents went on the rampage, attacking hostel dwellers and burnt down part of their residence .
Hostel resident Lindelani Sithole said his spaza shop, car and equipment for his small security company were destroyed.
He claimed the hostel was attacked because ANC supporters in the area believed that the hostel was an IFP stronghold.
"We were aware that the hostel was going to come under fire this Easter and we wrote a letter warning the Mooi Mpofana municipality mayor Maureen Magubane about it, but nothing was done.
"We just hope that the situation will return to normality so that we can all resume our lives," he said.
The violence has left 245 hostel residents homeless.
Magubane said hostel residents would be accommodated in halls and municipal properties.
Police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane said police officers were monitoring the situation in the area and they had separated the warring factions.
"A case of arson has been opened after the burning down of the hostel but nobody has been arrested so far," he said, declining to comment on whether the violence was taking a political dimension and becoming an ANC vs IFP strife.
The violence has sparked fears of a return of the violence of the 1980s and early 1990s when thousands of people died in clashes between rival political parties in the province.
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