Employee dies after gang rampage

A tavern assistant died the day before his 21st birthday after more than 40 alleged gang membersburst into a Khutsong tavern on the night of Friday, 3 June. He was one of 15 men and women who were stabbed in the incident.
According to the owner, Roby Sephogwane, who was present at around 23:30 when the raid took place, the tavern
was packed at the time. He was serving customers in the supermarket at the entrance when the masked youngsters
stormed past and into the tavern. As far as could be determined, the group comprised gang members from the infamous Casanovas and Deltas gangs. Chaos erupted as the armed intruders started stabbing Roby’s customers
and demanded their cell phones. Twenty phones were stolen. Itumeleng Thukapi or Pekene, as he is known, was helping at the tavern when he was stabbed in the stomach and taken to Carletonville Hospital for treatment. His wound was stitched up and he was discharged the next day. By Sunday, however, he was in great pain and getting
worse. He went back to the hospital on Monday, 6 June and was trans- ferred to Leratong Hospital, where he later died from internal bleeding. He would have celebrated his coming of age on Tuesday. Pekene, who is also an
orphan, was busy writing his matric prelims at Badirile High School before he died. He was known as a humble, likeable person who was always slow to anger, even when provoked. The incident has sparked an outcry
from the grieving community of Khutsong. Members blame the police for not doing their job and feel powerless to do
anything about the situation themselves. While gang attacks in the township continue to increase, people complain
Employee dies after gang rampage that, when they do take matters into their own hands, they become the accused
and are later arrested by the very police who are supposed to protect them. This frustration has even sparked allegations that the police actually work with the criminals. The community is demanding that something is urgently
done to resolve the situation.