" The Herald Online **News**
 
 PORT ELIZABETH


news
sport
business
columns
classifieds

la femme
motoring
opinion
letters
arts
weather
surf report
flights

directory
subscriptions
ad rates
contact info
 





Three killed in vigilante rampage

Khanyi Ndabeni HERALD REPORTER

ANGRY Kwazakhele residents took the law into their own hands at the weekend, leaving three suspects dead and two in hospital following a crime spree in the Port Elizabeth township.

One of the alleged vigilantes was arrested later, prompting community members to toyi-toyi in front of the Kwazakhele police station last night, demanding to be arrested as well.

A meeting between the police and community is to be held today in a bid to ease tensions.

The five men allegedly robbed community members at the weekend and raped a 14-year-old schoolgirl, who has not been seen since Friday afternoon.

Kwazakhele police said the mob justice had started on Friday and carried on until Sunday evening.

?On Friday, a mob stoned a 25-year- old man to death in Mbilini Street, Kwazakhele. On Saturday, the same mob killed a 27-year-old man in Myali Street,? said Captain Colman Tom.

Also on Saturday, another man, whose age is not known but who is believed to have been a friend of the two deceased, was killed in Salamtu Street. Weapons used included axes, other sharp objects and wooden sticks.

On Sunday, two men were attacked with axes in Myali Street and were taken by police to Dora Nginza Hospital, said Tom.

He said though it was rumoured that these men had raped a 14-year-old girl, no rape case had been opened at the police station and no one knew the whereabouts of the girl.

?We appeal to the community not to take the law into their own hands. They must stop with the kangaroo courts that they are busy running. The police are doing their best to arrest the criminals,? said Tom.

A ward committee member, who was at the scene when the two men were wounded on Sunday, said the killing spree started after the girl?s family was told she was gang-raped by men who were known criminals in the area.

?The family, with assistance from angry community members, had been looking for the places where these men lived. When they got to their houses or when they found them on the street, they started asking questions about the girl?s whereabouts. When these guys did not talk, they were killed,? said the ward committee member, who did not want to be named.

Members of the mob were heard saying: ?Rapists should be killed. We are tired of living with animals in our community. We know they have killed the girl and the police are doing nothing about that.?

Yesterday, Kwazakhele police arrested one person who was allegedly part of the vigilante mob. This resulted in a crowd of people toyi-toying in front of the police station, saying they all want to be arrested.

?Police are going to hold a meeting today at 3pm to try and talk to the people in the Kwazakhele area about the seriousness of these crimes,? said Tom.

?The police also need assistance from the justice department because some of the criminals we arrest are out on bail in a few days? time.

?In the eyes of the community it seems like we are not doing anything,? he said.

 

news | sport | business | columns | classifieds
la femme | motoring | opinion | letters | arts | weather | surf report | flights
directory |subscriptions | ad rates | contact info

Copyright © AVUSA Media Ltd


Search our site