Apparently emboldened by the appearance of five alleged gang members in the Jeppe Magistrates’ Court on 20 February, one more person has claimed he was at the receiving end of the reign of terror unleashed by the so-called ‘Dagga Gang’ on the streets of Bez Valley.
North Eastern Tribune previously reported (Terror in Bez Valley, Week ending 17 February) on how residents were threatened, beaten and slashed with pangas in separate attacks, allegedly by a group of men who drove around in a minibus taxi and demanded beer and dagga as a peace offering.
Watch: #DaggaGang strikes again:
Relief was palpable on the faces of the complainants as they sat in the packed court gallery to face the accused. A man who was present told the investigating officer that he, too, had been attacked by the gang, that he had laid a charge and had a case number to prove it, and that he would testify against the accused if called. Police, however, told him to wait until more arrests had been made.
Speaking to the North Eastern Tribune outside court, the man alleged that three of the accused were part of the group that had attacked him.
“On 29 January at around 8pm, a group of… men jumped out of a minibus taxi and started to assault me for no apparent reason. Three of the accused were there when I was assaulted.”
The five accused were not granted bail because their residency status could not be verified.
They will remain in custody until their next appearance on 27 February.
Read: Suspect nabbed for attempted murder
