Bulelani Vukwana

Background

Bulelani Vukwana was a South African security guard who worked for Gray Security Services. He was 29 years old. Vukwana had a quarrel with his girlfriend, Noluvuyo Mbenya, after she had dumped him. He was apparently meant to report for overtime duties and did not arrive.

Vukwana’s shattered father, Stotshulo Vukwane, travelled from Kidd’s Beach after hearing the news. He told the Daily Dispatch newspaper he could not believe what his son had done.

“We last saw him on February 1 and he appeared to be happy and content and never mentioned he was having problems with his girlfriend. “When he left home he said he would see the family at month-end. I am shocked, this was not my son as we knew him,” a distraught Vukwane said.

The offence

On the evening of February 9, 2002, Vukwana arrived at the home of his girlfriend, Noluvuyo Mbenya, to persuade her to come back to him. When she refused to see him, he went to a nearby shebeen and arrived at about 8:30pm.

Vukwana wounded the owner, Nosisi Skweyiya, by shooting her in the buttocks when she opened the door. He then went to the back of the bar and shot another man dead.

Vukwana returned to his girlfriend’s house, where a family function was in progress. A friend persuaded Ms. Mbenya to go out and talk to Vukwana. When she opened the door, Vukwana shot her point blank in the head, killing her instantly.

Vukwana then murdered her father, who had come to investigate the hubbub, as well as another man. Shouting “I have now come to finish it!”, Vukwana chased her family back into their house, where they locked themselves up while waiting for him to leave.

After a while, Vukwana left the Mbenya house and forced entry to the home of Lindiwe Ntoni next door. During a fight, he hit her with the gun on the head, failing to overwhelm and shoot her, and then he left.

Back in the streets, Vukwana hijacked a passing Golf. He forced the driver and three passengers out at gunpoint and drove back to the shebeen. The scene was at the same time as Lulamile Phantsi and his wife being called for help.

Vukwana shot at Mr. Phantsi in his Isuzu, hitting him fatally in the neck. Vukwana promised Mrs. Phantsi not to kill her, but forced her to go to the shebeen to look for someone he believed had been interfering in his relationship with Noluvuyo. When no one opened, they went back to her car. Vukwana dragged out Phantsi’s body and demanded Phantsi’s gun and mobile phone.

With a newly obtained pistol, Vukwana sped off in the Phantsis’ pick-up truck. He drove to Ma Radebe’s shebeen about 50 meters from the Mbenya home, where he killed one man and injured another person. He then started shooting randomly at motorists and pedestrians, killing several people including the driver of a passing car and two passengers in another.

When spotted by police, Vukwana abandoned his vehicle, fired several shots at the officers, and made his way between houses in an attempt to escape. At about 10pm, realizing he was cornered, Vukwana ended his murder trail by shooting himself in the head.

“I have now come to finish it!”.

Investigation

The shooting spree was triggered, according to police, by a failed relationship with his girlfriend, Noluvuyo Mbenya. Inspector Stephen Marais described that Vukwana’s actions were apparently triggered by a failed relationship with his girlfriend. Marais also said the shooting orgy started at Vukwana’s girlfriend’s home at about 8.30pm when a party was in progress.

Mike Bennett, a spokesperson for Gray Security, confirmed that none of Gray’s employees were issued with firearms. Bennett said the company would be releasing a press statement as soon as all the facts were known.

People affected

Victims killed

• Noluvuyo Mbenya (Vukwana’s girlfriend)
• Maxanjana Mbenya (father of Noluvuyo Mbenya)
• Siseko Skade Thami Jali Madoda Makwedinana Silyami Matthews Zingisa Stemele
• Lulamile Phantsi
• Luyanda Zidumbu
• Kwanele Matroko (18)
• Mawethu Mqala (28)

Vukwana also died by suicide.

Injured

• Lindiwe Ntoni (45)
• Nozukile Mengu (49)
• Ntombizanele Ntweni (25)
• Fuzile Konono (54)
• Nosisi Skweyiya (59)
• Mfundo Mooi (18)
• Mlandiseli Nazo (42)