Bulelani Vukwana (also referred to as Bulelani Vukwane) was a South African spree killer who, after a quarrel with his girlfriend, shot to death 11 people and injured a further 6 in Mdantsane township, near East London, on February 9, 2002, before committing suicide.

Murder Trail

In the evening of February 9, 2002 29-year old Bulelani Vukwana, who worked as a security guard for Gray Security Services, arrived at the home of his girlfriend Noluvuyo Mbenya, who apparently had dumped him earlier, to persuade her to come back to him. As she refused to see him, enraged Vukwana went to a nearby shebeen, arriving there at about 8:30pm, and 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, shot another man dead, and afterwards 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, but when she opened the door, he shot her point blank in the head, killing her instantly. The drunk gunman also murdered her father who came to investigate the cause of the hubbub, as well as another man, and, shouting "I have now come to finish it!", he chased her family back into their house, where they locked themselves up, waiting for the crazed man to leave.

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

Back in the streets Vukwana hijacked a passing Golf, forced the driver and three passengers out at gunpoint and drove back to the shebeen, where he arrived at the same time as Lulamile Phantsi and his wife, who were called for help. The gunman immediately shot at Mr. Phantsi in his Isuzu, hitting him fatally in the neck.

Bulelani Vukwana promised Mrs. Phantsi not to kill her, but forced her to go to the shebeen to look for someone whom he believed had been interfering in his relationship with Noluvuyo, but when no one opened they went back to her car, where he dragged out the body and demanded Phantsi's gun and mobile phone.

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

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

Victims

Dead

• 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, deceased in hospital

Injured

• Lindiwe Ntoni, 45
• Nozukile Mengu, 49
• Ntombizanele Ntweni, 25
• Fuzile Konono, 54
• Nosisi Skweyiya, 59
• Mfundo Mooi, 18, sustained spinal injuries, leaving him paralyzed
• Mlandiseli Nazo, 42, fractured his ankle when fleeing from Vukwana

Wikipedia.org

Deadly shooting spree in S. Africa

The Las Vegas Sun

February 10, 2002

CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Outraged at being dumped by his girlfriend, a South African man shot and killed her and nine other people before turning the gun on himself, police said Sunday.

Six others were seriously wounded in the shooting spree by 29-year-old security guard Bulelani Vukwana on Saturday night in the Mdantsane suburb of East London, about 560 miles east of Cape Town.

Jilted guard kills 10

The Advertiser

February 12, 2002

OUTRAGED at being dumped by his girlfriend, a security guard shot her and nine other people dead, before turning the gun on himself. Seven other people were also seriously injured in the weekend shooting in East London, about 900km east of Cape Town.

Bulelani Vukwana, 29, and his girlfriend, Nulovuyo Mbenya, had a fight on the weekend during which she ended their relationship, said police Insp Stephen Marais.

Vukwana returned to Mbenya's house to try to persuade her to come back to him, and after an argument he shot her head at close range.

Insp Marais said Vukwana then went to a bar next to his girlfriend's house, and shot and wounded the owner.

He went to the back of the bar and shot another man dead.

He returned to the street where he encountered Lulamile Phantsi, who had been called to the scene to help, shot him in the neck and made off in his pickup truck.

A short while later he returned to his girlfriend's house, and killed her father, Maxanjana Mbenya.

"After that he went on a rampage and shot whoever he could see," Insp Marais said. He fired at two cars, killing the driver of one, and two passengers in another, before shooting at random at pedestrians.

When police arrived, Vukwana fled in the pickup truck. A short chase ensued and he abandoned the vehicle and ran away.

When Vukwana saw he could not escape the police, he shot himself, witnesses said.

The injured were taken to hospital in East London, where they were in serious but stable condition, Insp Marais said.

12th shooting victim dies, one paralysed

The Independent Online

February 12, 2002

The number of fatalities following a shooting massacre in the Eastern Cape has risen to 12 (including the shooter) following the death of another woman, and an 18-year-old survivor has been left permanently paralysed from the waist down. Five other injured people are out of danger and in stable condition in hospital.

Bulelani Vukwana

An off-duty security guard who killed eleven people, including himself, in a shooting spree in Mdantsane late yesterday evening has been identified as Bulelani Vukwana (29). Vukwana, who was employed by Gray Security Services in East London, was apparently meant to report for overtime duties yesterday evening but did not arrive. His running amok with two 9mm pistols is believed to have been triggered by a failed relationship with his girlfriend, Noluvuyo Mbenya.

Those killed have been identified as Vukwana's girlfriend, her father Maxanjana Mbenya, Siseko Skade, Thami Jali, Madoda Makwedinana, Silyami Matthews, Zingisa Stemele, Lulamile Phantsi, Luyanda Zidumbu and an unidentified man. Seven other people who sustained various bullet wounds were admitted to Cecilia Makawane Hospital and are reportedly in a serious but stable condition.

They are: Mawetu Mqalo (34), Nozukile Mengu (49), Lindiwe Ntini (46), Ntombizanele Ntweni (25), Fuzile Konono (54), Nosisi Skweyiya (59), and Mfundo Mooi (18). Inspector Stephen Marais, a police spokesperson, says the shooting orgy started at Vukwana's girlfriend's home at about 8.30pm when a party was in progress. He shot her at close-range in the head, killing her instantly, after which he went to a nearby shebeen where he shot Skweyiya in the buttocks as she opened the door.

Marais says Phantsi, who had been called to render assistance, arrived at the scene with his wife. As he got out of his 4X4 vehicle, Vukwane shot him in the neck, killing him instantly. He then demanded that Phantsi's wife hand over his firearm and told her he would not kill her, but needed her assistance. After removing the firearm and Phantsi's cellphone from the cubbyhole and dumping the body, she was forced to accompany him to his girlfriend's home where he shot her father.

Abandoned vehicle found

It also appears that Vukwana hijacked a blue Golf, forcing the driver and three passengers out at gunpoint. While driving, Vukwana apparently opened fire randomly on anyone who came into his path, killing a motorist and a number of pedestrians, says Marais. Police have also found a blood-splattered red Nissan Sentra with no occupant and the possibility that the driver was shot by Vukwana, but managed to flee. Vukwana dumped the hijacked vehicle when he spotted police officers, fired a number of shots in their direction then fled in between houses.

Marais says it appears that when Vukwana realised he was cornered he shot himself in the head. Police found the firearm stolen from Phantsi on Vukwana's body, but the firearm used to shoot his girlfriend is still missing. Mike Bennett, a spokesperson for Gray Security, has meanwhile confirmed that none of Gray's employees are issued with firearms. He says the company will be releasing a press statement as soon as all the facts are known.

'This was not my son'

Johannesburg - Seven people were still in serious conditions in hospital after a shooting spree in Mdantsane, East London which left 11 people dead on Saturday night, Eastern Cape police said on Sunday.

Inspector Stephen Marais said 10 people were shot and killed by an off-duty security guard, Bulelani Vukwana (29), before he committed suicide.

The seven injured people were all admitted to Cecilia Makawane Hospital, where two are fighting for their lives in the intensive care unit.

Marais said Vukwana's actions were apparently triggered by a failed relationship with his girlfriend, Nolunuyo Mbenya.

The shooting spree, with two 9mm pistols, started at Mbenya's house about 20:30.

Vukwana shot his girlfriend at close-range in the head, killing her instantly, after which he went to a nearby shebeen where he shot a woman as she opened the door.

Fire opened randomly at anyone in the way

Marais said a man, who had been called to render assistance, arrived at the scene with his wife.

As he got out of his car, Vukwane shot him in the neck, killing him instantly.

He then demanded the man's wife hand over her husband's firearm, telling her she would come to no harm, but that he needed her assistance.

After the firearm and a cellphone was removed from the car and the body dumped, she was forced to accompany him back to his girlfriend's home. On arrival there, he shot his girlfriend's father.

Vukwana allegedly also hijacked a blue Golf, forcing the driver and three passengers out at gunpoint.

While driving, Vukwana apparently opened fire randomly at anyone who crossed his path, killing a motorist and a number of pedestrians, Marais said.

Police also found a blood-splattered red Nissan Sentra with no occupant and the possibility existed that the driver was shot by Vukwana, but managed to flee.

Family shocked

Vukwana abandoned the hijacked vehicle when he spotted police officers, fired a number of shots in their direction and then fled into a neighbourhood. Marais said it appeared that when Vukwana realised he had been cornered, he shot himself in the head.

Vukwane's shattered father, Stotshulo Vukwane (48) who travelled from Kidd's Beach on hearing the news, 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.

Mike Bennett, a spokesperson for Vukwana's employer, Gray Security, said Vukwana failed to arrive for duty on Saturday evening.

Bennett said none of their employees were issued with firearms in order to prevent such incidents.

Vukwane had worked for Gray since October 1998.