TSHIVHASE - One of the Tshivhase Youth Committee members, Azwinnyadi Netshifhefhe (33), says he is living in fear of his life, after an attempt was made to kill him.

Speaking from his hiding place, somewhere in the Tshivhase area, Netshifhefhe said his sister's house was hit with a petrol bomb on about two weeks ago. "I heard gun shots before something like a petrol bomb was thrown into the hut where my sister and four family members were sleeping. Fortunately all of them were rescued," said Netshifhefhe.

Netshifhefhe said the alleged attackers were after him as the community members heard them swearing that they were going to "eliminate me like what they did to Tendani Lukhwareni."

Lukhwareni, a former youth leader and PAC and SANDF member, was shot and killed on 18 April this year. His death came after he had led a community march to the area commissioner's office, demanding that all ritual murder cases should be transferred to the Scorpions, as the community had lost faith in police.

Tendani also claimed before his death that alleged suspects of ritual murder cases were threatening him.

Netshifhefhe also said he believed that the people who are threatening his life are the suspects in the ritual murder cases in the area. "Since we started a campaign against ritual murder killings, I have been receiving life threatening calls. The threats were made even before Lukhwareni's death. In some of the calls I was told that we youth members will be hunted and killed one by one," he said.

Netshifhefhe said he was disappointed that there is no progress in his cases even though he had reported all of them, including the one of arson. He stated that he and other youth members were living in fear of their lives, since there was gunfire next to their homes every night.

"We do not know where to hide, as the police are not responding. We have also lost faith in the police, as they are doing nothing to protect us, even after we gave them information. They never come and patrol our streets to establish the identity of these people who are firing guns next to our homes," said Netshifhefhe.

According to him, the community should be aware that they are being hunted for fighting against ritual murders while appealing to the government to protect them "as there is no one above the law."

Police spokesperson, Captain Ailwei Mushavhanamadi, confirmed that the case had been reported to them.