KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli has urged residents of KwaDweshula in the Umzumbe Local Municipality to work closely with police and become active partners in fighting crime, following the brutal killing of four members of the Cele family. Ntuli was speaking on Sunday at the mass funeral of the four relatives, who were gunned down at their home on New Year’s Eve in what is believed to have been an armed robbery. The victims were identified as Grace Cele (69), her son Scelo Cele (45), and her daughters Lindokuhle Cele (44) and Nondumiso Cele (31).
All four died at the scene after being shot late on Wednesday night, December 31, 2025, at their rural homestead about 40km inland from Port Shepstone. Addressing mourners, Ntuli appealed to community members to assist law enforcement with information that could help solve the killings and other violent crimes in the area. “Government continues to call on community members to assist law enforcement with intelligence that can help fast-track the finalisation of unsolved murder cases,” Ntuli said.
He urged residents to report criminal activity to their local police stations, stressing that crime prevention required cooperation between communities and authorities. Ntuli also called on police to act decisively in tackling violent crime, not only in KwaDweshula but across the province. “Law enforcement must work with speed and efficiency to curb the scourge of crime in this area and throughout KwaZulu-Natal,” he said. Police investigations into the murders are ongoing, and no arrests have yet been announced.
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