KZN woman grateful for survival after seeing both her sisters shot

A KwaZulu-Natal security guard told the mother of his three children to say her prayers seconds before he shot her in the head, killing her, on Sunday afternoon.

Nandipha Lifana, 32 who was eight months pregnant, slid to the floor as her sister, Nangamso Lifana, 29, tried to wrestle the gun from Nkanyiso Shezi, 37, in the Lindelani informal settlement in Umzinto, south of Durban.

Moments later another shot rang out and Nangamso fell to the floor.

A third sister, Nombulelelo Lifana, 36, who escaped the shooting, told TimesLIVE Shezi was angry at Nandipha who refused to answer his calls and stormed the small house. 

“My sister said if you want to kill me, then kill me,” she said when he entered. 

“My sister told Shezi she had had enough of his taunts, abuse and humiliation,” said Nombulelelo.

When the first shot rang out, she said he had missed Nandipha but then she saw the blood and she screamed at him. 

It was then Nangamso rushed towards Shezi and she too was shot in the head.

“Frantically I tried to grab the gun but his grip was firm. I then fled to seek help because I feared he would be gunning for me,” said Nombulelelo.

But as she ran out a neighbour, Zolisa Dweba, who heard the screaming and gunshots rushed in to help the siblings. Dweba however was shot in the face.

Shezi then turned the gun on himself. 

Dweba was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

Nombulelelo said the couple had a tumultuous relationship.

“Shezi was abusive and he would not shy away from beating my sister in full view of other people,” she said.

“I am grateful I was spared in this tragic incident. I thank God and my ancestors. I don’t know how it did not dawn on him to not kill me when I was running out.”

She said she was haunted by the images of her sisters and also having to act as guardian for her sisters' children.

Both siblings were unemployed and have five children.

“Nandipha would have had three children of her own but her one child died at the age of six. But she was also eight months pregnant,” she said.

The family who are originally from Bizana settled in the area in 2008. They are yet to finalise funeral arrangements.

KwaZulu-Natal premier Thami Ntuli, who visited the area on Monday, said another incident had been reported in the area on the same day.

“At about 6.30am another man shot to death a woman who goes by the surname of Mbhele. You see two incidents in one day, this indicates the problem of gender-based violence is vast in these areas.”

He said the provincial government would work with the community and police to host crime prevention programmes dealing with anger management as well as drug and alcohol abuse. 

Ntuli said families needed to be proactive in seeking help for members who had a history of physical, drug or alcohol abuse. 

The mushrooming of unlicensed shebeens with unregulated trading hours was a concern, he said.

“I encourage municipalities to be our eyes and ears so we could remove these from society.”

Police spokesperson Const Thenjiswa Ngcobo said cases of murder, attempted murder and an inquest were opened after the two sisters were shot dead and their neighbour injured.

TimesLIVE