The community of Mhlotsheni village in Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape is reeling after three men were gunned down this week.

One man was killed at his home, while the other two were on their way to collect their pensions when they were shot. The wife of one of the victims was wounded.

Police spokesperson Sgt Kaya Matola-Mvanyashe said: “It is alleged at about 8.30am three elderly people were on their way to Mhlotsheni locality when they were accosted by an unknown male suspect who appeared from the nearby bushes and fired several shots at them.”

Police are investigating the third murder.

Villagers in the area said the motive for the killings was unknown.

Ward councillor Bulelwa Mjakuja said on Friday children and teachers had stopped going to schools out of fear for their lives.

The killing of the men who were collecting their pensions and were related, follows after two relatives were gunned down in the village in March. Several others were wounded.

“This has been going on for a long time, such that we have sleepless nights,” she said.

“Those elderly people were just going to get their pension money, not knowing they would be killed.

“The village has been in a sombre mood. But we have called the police and we were told they would be dispatched to the village.

“As I talk to you, I received a report that another man was gunned down. We don’t know why they were killed. They were brutally killed. The gunshots were terrifying. There were so many shots fired. This has left us all shocked because those were elderly people going about their way,” she said.

She called for the arrest of those responsible for the deaths.

“What we really wish for is for a police station to be built for this area, because police come and there is calm, but as soon as they leave people start getting killed. We don’t know when that will end.

“There is no stability now in the area. We don’t know how safe we are. Police must get to the root of what is causing this and arrest those responsible and root out the illegal firearms. We hear gunshots in this area frequently.”

The area has been prone to violent armed attacks.

In September last year, scores of villagers in the Majola area fled into the forests after three men were shot dead and 20 homes torched in what appeared to have been a fight over stock theft.

Police are appealing to anyone who can assist in the investigation to contact Lt-Col Mandla Miya on 082 779 7259 or 047 564 1189. Matola-Mvanyashe said all information was confidential and callers could remain anonymous.

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