Tensions ran high in Extension 16, eMbalenhle this afternoon (May 2) when community members nearly killed a man they suspected is involved in the murders of two toddlers.

The man, reportedly mentally disturbed, was apparently shouting that he had killed people, including children.

A resident who heard the man’s shouts, blew on a whistle to get the attention of the community.

A crowd quickly gathered and confronted the man, who was detained until his family arrived and intervened. In an attempt to calm the situation, the man was taken to the home of a local traditional healer.

Residents gathered outside the healer’s home, awaiting police intervention. When officers arrived, the man’s family informed them that he suffers from mental illness and had been brought to the healer for treatment.

Despite this explanation, the community expressed dissatisfaction and frustration, particularly in light of unresolved cases involving missing children.

Toddlers Thingo Mahlangu and Khayone Pakeni went missing last year, and their bodies were discovered weeks later dumped in a nearby veld. To date, no arrests have been made in connection with the tragedy.

While the crowd eventually dispersed, the incident highlighted the community’s deep-seated fears and growing impatience over the lack of justice and resolution in ongoing cases of violence.