Vigilantes strike fear in Mdantsane hearts

Youth is said to be fifth victim of crime-fighting groups in four months

A 26-year-old man has become the latest victim of a vigilante group that attacks people in the community suspected of criminal behaviour.

Now these acts of vigilantism are dividing communities.

On Tuesday, five days after the murder of Aviwe Mangaliso in the Unit P area of Mdantsane, Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brig Tembinkosi Kinana appealed to residents to report any form of vigilante activity to the police.

Kinana said Mangaliso was the fifth person to be killed by vigilante groups since August.

These groups are believed to operate under the guise of community forums, which were initially formed within communities to keep criminals and criminal activities at bay.

Aviwe’s older brother, Asanda, said Aviwe had chased him with a knife on Thursday.

Asanda then called the community forum to report his brother’s behaviour.

“All I needed was for the residents to warn him and call the police because I needed a protection order against him. He had assaulted our father before so that’s why I decided to involve the community.

“I then left for work but was later called to return home as something had happened. On my arrival, my brother was lying dead at the roadside. There were some people standing by not far from where he lay.

“This is painful. He was my brother. I didn’t want them to kill him,” he said.

In a separate incident in

Mdantsane, a mother was left nursing wounds inflicted on her 15-year-old son, allegedly by another vigilante group, this one in NU8.

Nombulelo Pika said her son, who was sent to the shop to buy bread by his grandmother, returned bloodied.

“They [group] did not bother to report to us, his parents, what he had done wrong.

“My son was badly injured, bleeding through the nose and mouth, and his body was sore.

“He was admitted to Cecilia Makiwane Hospital and spent a week there.

“I have yet to hear why he was attacked by the group. I did not report the matter to the police because these groups act with impunity,” Pika said.

“They never get arrested. Instead, those who complain to the police become victims forever.”

Kinana has warned people against taking the law into their own hands. He confirmed the five deaths.

“The SAPS condemns acts of vigilantism as they are against the constitution of the country, which protects individual human rights.

“Members of communities are urged to report any criminal activities to the police. They are further urged to allow the law to take its course.

“The incidents are in relation to four vigilante attacks that resulted in murders which took place in Inyibiba policing precinct between August and last week.

“Regarding the latest victim [Mangaliso] in Unit P on November 25, the father of the deceased allegedly ran to community members for help when his son assaulted him.

“According to the father, this was not the first time he had been assaulted by his son.

“The community members came to his rescue, but allegedly fatally assaulted the son.

“Cases of murder are under investigation in all four incidents.

“No arrests have been effected in any of the cases, and investigations continue.”

Kinana said people should join legitimate structures, such as community policing forums that work with the police.

Action would be taken against all illegal community structures, he said.