Police fear "bundu courts" have been revived, claiming the lives of four suspected criminals at the hands of vigilantes in the community.
Over the weekend there were three incidences in Khayelitsha where young men were stoned to death and in Tygerdal, Goodwood, a man was beaten to death. In all the cases, members of the community are believed to have taken the law into their own hands.
Khayelitsha police station commander Aaron Mlenga decried the reappearance of the "bundu courts", first established in the struggle against apartheid to deal with collaborators: "The community is requested to come forward with information to assist the police in the apprehension of these groupings. We need to rid our area of vigilante groups and make our streets safe for our children again."
On Friday morning, the body of a man believed to be in his late 20s was discovered next to a container, used to store refuse, next to Lansdowne Road, adjacent to the RR-section in Site B, Khayelitsha.
When the Cape Times visited the area last night few people were willing to talk but one young woman said the man's crime was believed to have been attempted murder at the nearby BM-section.
"The man lived in Makhaza (Khayelitsha) and his crime was that he had set alight another man's wife. A group of residents from BM-Section, hearing about the incidence which happened on Thursday chased after him and assaulted him with all sorts of weapons," said the woman.
The man's limp body was dragged down Lansdowne Road to RR-Section, across the road from the Mew Hall and where he was struck with further blows to his head.
"I could see that he was still alive when the mob brought him here, he managed to open his eyes. But one man struck a heavy blow to his head and that's when he seemed dead. He was no longer breathing," said the woman.
Khayelitsha police spokesperson Mthokozisi Gama said: "We are still investigating but so far we have managed to arrest three suspects for the different incidents aged 52, 37 and 48. They will appear in the Khayelitsha Magistrate's court soon,"
He added police would maintain a zero tolerance approach against the community members because all they were doing was contributing to crime. - Cape Times
Over the weekend there were three incidences in Khayelitsha where young men were stoned to death and in Tygerdal, Goodwood, a man was beaten to death. In all the cases, members of the community are believed to have taken the law into their own hands.
Khayelitsha police station commander Aaron Mlenga decried the reappearance of the "bundu courts", first established in the struggle against apartheid to deal with collaborators: "The community is requested to come forward with information to assist the police in the apprehension of these groupings. We need to rid our area of vigilante groups and make our streets safe for our children again."
On Friday morning, the body of a man believed to be in his late 20s was discovered next to a container, used to store refuse, next to Lansdowne Road, adjacent to the RR-section in Site B, Khayelitsha.
When the Cape Times visited the area last night few people were willing to talk but one young woman said the man's crime was believed to have been attempted murder at the nearby BM-section.
"The man lived in Makhaza (Khayelitsha) and his crime was that he had set alight another man's wife. A group of residents from BM-Section, hearing about the incidence which happened on Thursday chased after him and assaulted him with all sorts of weapons," said the woman.
The man's limp body was dragged down Lansdowne Road to RR-Section, across the road from the Mew Hall and where he was struck with further blows to his head.
"I could see that he was still alive when the mob brought him here, he managed to open his eyes. But one man struck a heavy blow to his head and that's when he seemed dead. He was no longer breathing," said the woman.
Khayelitsha police spokesperson Mthokozisi Gama said: "We are still investigating but so far we have managed to arrest three suspects for the different incidents aged 52, 37 and 48. They will appear in the Khayelitsha Magistrate's court soon,"
He added police would maintain a zero tolerance approach against the community members because all they were doing was contributing to crime. - Cape Times
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