Suspected gang member set alight at high school in Benoni

Gauteng MEC for education Panyaza Lesufi paid a visit to Unity Secondary School in Daveyton, Benoni, on Friday after a suspected gang member was set alight near the school, Benoni City Times reports.

Lesufi will address the learners after one person has died and four others were injured in incidents of “mob justice” in Daveyton over the last two days.

The first attack took place on Tuesday.

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SAPS provincial spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said five men between the ages of 18 and 21 have been attacked and one of them died as a result.

“Police received information that there were three men that were being assaulted by the community,” said Masondo.

“Upon arrival, the crowd ran in different directions. Police found that the three men were badly injured.”

The injured victims were taken to hospital for medical treatment.

Masondo said on Wednesday that police received information about a man who was being attacked by the community.

“When police responded to the scene, they found a 19-year-old man who was set alight‚ allegedly by the community. The victim was taken to hospital by paramedics.

“Later in the day, police were called to another scene of mob justice‚ where another 19-year-old man was assaulted by the community,” said Masondo.

The man was certified dead on the scene by the paramedics.

No arrests have been made.

EMPD spokesperson Clifford Shongwe said on Wednesday‚ a group of people went to a Daveyton school with a male in his 20s‚ who they allegedly kidnapped to point out one of the learners who is allegedly part of the gang.

“Since they could not find the said learner‚ they then put a tyre around the victim and set it alight‚” said Shongwe.

“According to the school principal, a group came to the school and broke down a locked gate‚ demanding one of the learners.”

Shongwe said the principal told police the group hurled insults at him.

“They then dragged a kidnapped man to the school ground‚ where he was set alight with a burning tyre.”

Police spokesperson Brigadier Mathapelo Peters said Gauteng provincial commissioner of police Lieutenant-General Deliwe de Lange has established a high-level task team to stabilise the situation in Daveyton.

The team have committed to working around the clock to ensure the arrests of those responsible for the acts of mob justice over the past two days.

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