A grief-stricken mother is calling for justice to be served after her son, Preslen Roskruge (29), died in hospital hours after being assaulted on September 20.
According to Saps, Roskruge sustained severe injuries after he was allegedly assaulted outside a shop in Marburg.
Saps confirmed he was taken to hospital, where he later died.
One man was arrested and has since appeared in the Port Shepstone Magistrate’s Court on a charge of murder.
The case has been postponed to October 15 (today) for bail application. Police are searching for a second suspect.
Preslen’s mother (who asked not to be named or photographed) said she was told that her son was seen near a shop when he was approached by two Ugu Clean Up Committee forum members.
“I was told that the forum men assaulted my son at about 11:00 that day. They used knobkerries and beat my son to a pulp. A call was made for an ambulance, and my son was taken to hospital. When I arrived at the hospital, he had already died.”
She said it was her understanding that the forum had been established to assist the police, provide safety to shoppers, and keep bad elements such as ‘paras’ out of the Port Shepstone CBD only.
She questioned why forum members had been allowed to come into residential areas and assault people. “My son’s death is not the first incident,” she said.
“I believe my son was set up, and someone called the forum to assault him.”
Khangelani Calusa, chairman of the Ugu Clean Up Committee, said he could not comment on the off-duty activities of any forum member.
However, he did say that he had heard that one of the forum members had been arrested.
He added that the forum did not, as a rule, operate in residential areas.
Calusa said that if business owners in Marburg request forum members to help, they do send members, but in this case, no one requested their help.
Fathima Moosa, chairman of the Marburg CPF, clarified that the CPF was not affiliated with the forum.
She said Marburg CPF is run and operated on a voluntary basis.
“We work under the umbrella, guidance and direction of the Saps. We work under a strict rule and code of conduct. All Marburg CPF members are vetted, fingerprinted, and details recorded with Saps.”
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