Police spokesperson Colonel Jay Naicker said on Tuesday that the men were shot late on Saturday night.

“We can confirm an incident that occurred on October 3 at about 22:00 when two males in their 40s were found dead near a block in Glebelands hostel. The men had multiple gunshot wounds.

“The motive of the killing is unknown. Umlazi police are investigating two counts of murder. No arrests have been made at this stage,” Naicker said.

Faction battles between rival blocks at the hostel have escalated in the past few months.

Police officers, who previously have tried to separate the warring mobs, have come under heavy fire and have had to call for back-up before using armoured vehicles to storm the hostel.

The situation at the hostel remains tense.

Six people have been murdered at the hostel in recent weeks, bringing the total of people killed there in the past 14 months to 30.

Police believe the cause of the clashes at the hostel appears to be a bed-for-cash extortion scam, with residents coerced into paying “warlords” for protection.