The families of Sipho Zondi (25) and Siyabonga Keleku (43), together with residents of Orlando West, gathered at the Orlando Magistrate’s Court demanding justice after the two men were allegedly assaulted to death on January 21.

According to Zondi’s sister, Makhosazana Sunduze, she received a call from a neighbour around midday informing her that her brother had been forcibly taken from their home and business by armed men.

“After receiving the call, I rushed home to Orlando West. When I arrived, our house and tavern had been searched and vandalised.

“The suspects allegedly told neighbours they were looking for items my brother and Keleku had sold, including a wristwatch and clothes,” she said.

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She added that one of the suspects is known to the family and lives on the same street.

“I managed to get one of the suspects’ contact numbers and called several times. When they eventually answered, they confirmed they had my brother. I begged them to bring him back so we could resolve the issue, but they refused. Later that night, they returned with him. He had been brutally beaten and was stuffed into the boot of their car.

“When they opened the boot, my brother was still alive. I asked if he could walk, but he shook his head. His head was deformed, and he was covered in blood. I tried to help him out of the car, but he was too heavy.

“When I tried to take a photo of the vehicle’s registration number, one of the men snatched my phone, fired a shot into the air, and they fled with him,” Sunduze said.

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She said the family searched for him throughout the night without success.

The following morning, as she prepared to check local clinics and hospitals, a neighbour informed them that Zondi had been found dead at a scrapyard in the Ezimbuzini informal settlement.

“As a family, we are not coping. The past two years have been traumatic. We lost his mother in January last year, and now him. My brother did not deserve to die for something he did not do,” she said.

Keleku’s brother, Sibusiso, said he came across his brother being beaten by a group of men at the corner of their street while returning from work.

“When I tried to intervene and asked what was happening, he said he was being beaten for something he did not do. The suspects threatened to assault me as well and pointed a gun at me. Community members could not assist because the men were armed,” he said.

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He said the last time he saw his brother alive was when he was being beaten in the street while the suspects demanded that he produce the allegedly stolen items.

“We even offered to pay for the items, but they refused. That showed they wanted to kill them. The next morning, while I was at work, I received a call that Siyabonga had been found dead near Dobsonville Hostel.

“When I arrived, he had already been taken to Diepkloof Mortuary. I identified him, and he had been severely beaten. We are trying to cope, but it is difficult,” he said.

“My brother worked at a car wash to earn a living. He did not deserve to die like this. We hope justice will take its course.”

The publication previously spoke to Orlando police spokesperson Sergeant Nomvula Mbense, who confirmed that despite allegations of theft, no stolen items were found.

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“CCTV footage from Ezimbuzini shows that the vehicle used to dump the body is the same one used in the Orlando West business robbery and kidnapping,” she said.

Three suspects briefly appeared in court and were granted bail of R20 000 each. One suspect handed himself over to police on February 24, while two remain at large.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Orlando Police Station.