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Another massacre in KZN - baby executed, amongst others

NATIONAL police chief General Bheki Cele yesterday made an urgent visit to KwaZulu-Natal after the second mass massacre in less than 72 hours.

The body of six-month-old Sesethu Mngomezulu was found cradled in her dead mother's arms early yesterday morning.

The infant and her mother Nolusindiso Skota, 30, her 37-year-old father Elias Mngomezulu and his brother Vasco, 32, were all shot in the heads at their home in Itshelimnyama near Marianhill.

Durban organised crime unit detectives, who are also investigating Tuesday's brutal attack in neighbouring Shongweni - where six people, including two children, were massacred - were called to the scene at 5am yesterday.

The Mngomezulus' neighbour, Victoria Latha, said she heard a loud argument at about 1am.

"I saw Sindi running down, carrying the child. A man chasing after her was shouting 'where did you sleep last night?' Then I heard gunshots," she said.

Latha found the young mother and her baby in a pool of blood on her house veranda hours later.

Elias Mngomezulu's body was found inside the couple's house while his brother was shot dead in a small outbuilding.

Both doors had been forced open. Police did not find the murder weapon but Mngomezulu's empty wallet was found on the driveway.

His elder brother, Mandla, who was the first family member to arrive, said the couple's cellphones and a bag of money were missing.

He said his brother had been excited about his future business plans.

Mngomezulu owned a shoe-repair business.

Cele was briefed by detectives before visiting the survivors of Tuesday's massacre in Shongweni when four men went on a killing rampage shortly after midnight.

They raped a 13-year- old girl in front of her parents and shot her pregnant sister and the sister's boyfriend.

At another home, the gunmen killed Ngenzeni Hlongwane, 40, and her daughter, Nokhuthula Zulu, 22.

They shot her son, Nthobisi, and grandson, Talente, as they slept.

Hlongwane's oldest son, Thabani Zulu, 18, ran for his life but the gunmen followed and shot him dead.

Cele said: "These people have really ugly hearts. If they have a grudge against a person, why take it out on a six-month-old baby."

He said the detectives were investigating similarities between the two massacres but were careful not to be "fooled that one gang was responsible for both attacks".

The Shongweni community is adamant that the killers were high on Whoonga - a township drug made of rat poison, household detergent and crushed anti-retroviral pills - at the time of committing the murders.

Cele acknowledged that Whoonga was a national problem.

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