One person was stoned to death in a street and another escaped death from necklacing in separate incidents which occurred minutes apart at night on 26 May in Alex.
The incidents occurred on the same night as the horrific fatal stabbing of a patient at an Alex clinic.
Read: Victim stoned, burnt to death
Alex police spokesperson Captain Stephen Malatji said the unknown victim in the first incident, who was about 38 years of age, was stoned to death by unknown suspects at about 8.15pm at the old council buildings near Alex Magistrates’ Court in 2nd Street, Wynberg. No further details were provided except that the victim was a Lesotho national.
Captain Malatji said the attempted murder by necklacing, which occurred at 9pm at an unspecified location, was on a youth by a group of unknown peers. The suspects allegedly blocked his way as he walked home from a party with a friend. The friend escaped but the victim was caught by the suspects who hit him with beer bottles, then undressed him leaving only his socks and underwear on, before tying him to a tree using his shoelaces. They placed a tyre stuffed with paper around his neck. As they lit the tyre, one suspect removed it and untied him, enabling him to escape into a nearby home where he sought refuge for the night. The incident was reported the following morning.
Read: Woman sliced to death by boyfriend
Malatji urged residents to value human life, desist from abusing alcohol, to stop loitering on the streets, inform police of criminal activities in their area, and for witnesses to help police in their investigation by contacting 011 321 7719 or 011 321 7600.
He repeated his previous plea in this newspaper for residents to restart street committees which he said had worked well in the past.
