Residents encourage mob justice
Angry residents from Ebony Park in Tembisa marched to the Tembisa Police Station on Thursday last week, demanding that their detained comrades be released with immediate effect.
The stand off between the residents and the police started in February this year, when members of the community cornered an alleged thief. It has been alleged the person was beaten to death.
Residents of Ebony Park alleged the deceased terrorised them for years.
Following the alleged thief’s death, three suspects were arrested.
Members of the community have been marching each time the three accused appear in court.
On Thursday last week, members of the community alleged that police have arrested “one of their own” on Wednesday last week.
Singing freedom songs and waving placards, residents said the deceased, prior to his death, was arrested several times by the police but was granted bail after each arrest.
“We are sick and tired of thugs in our area. Police are doing nothing. Members of the SAPS in Tembisa need to be trained again because they do not have investigating skills.
“Thugs are doing as they wish and when we report them to the police, they are arrested and released the following morning. As the community of Ebony, we have decided to take the law into our own hands,” said one marcher.
Tembisa SAPS Communications Director, Captain Manyadza Ralidzhivha, said no person is allowed to take the law into his own hands.
“We appeal to members of the community to refrain from taking the law into their own hands. No person has the right to kill another person. If people break the law, no matter what happens, police will have to defend the country’s Constitution,” he said.
@TheTembisan
