Angry community members told to calm down

Angry community members of Empumelelweni were told to calm down after they wanted one of their members out of the area.

It all started after a six year old girl was allegedly raped by a suspect. The suspect who is believed to be about 30 years old was said to have first kidnapped the young girl on Thursday, December 17 at about 18:00 and the girl only came back home after about 22: 00.

A member of the community policing forum (CPF) addressing community members during a meeting held recently.

The community were up in arms after that and they destroyed his shack. The suspect together with his uncle allegedly stabbed the girl’s father when he went to find out about his girl. He was treated and discharged the same day.
The family then opened a case at Vosman Police Station. The police came looking for the suspect and they only found the uncle who stays a few meters away from the suspect’s shack. He was then arrested.
The girl was also taken to hospital where it was confirmed that she has been raped according to the family.
The matter took another turn when the uncle was released on bail and the suspect disappeared and his whereabouts are unknown.

The community then decided to demolish the suspect’s shack because they say this is the third similar case. Cllr Timothy Lukhele said they have on several occasions reported such cases at the municipality without any positive response.

“I have reported cases of shacks whose owners are staying somewhere and keeping people to guard for them. The suspect is staying in that shack and the shack has only a bed, but no stove, no blankets, no clothes, there is nothing in that shack; we wonder how possible is that. As a community we are concerned. The safety of our children is at stake here with such people living among us. We took a resolution to demolish empty shacks because we know that they are a problem,” said Cllr Lukhele then.

The suspect is believed to be from Lesotho and the community is concerned as well as he was not arrested and might escape to his country.
After a couple of weeks, the uncle also opened a case of assault against some community members after it was said they had assaulted him and they tried to burn his shack. A meeting was called by Cllr Lukhele trying to diffuse the situation to the extend of involving the police. Finally a peace pact was agreed on with the uncle dropping the charges but community members still want him out of the area. Cllr Lukhele promised to come up with a plan to help both parties.

An empty stand on what used to be shack in Empumelelweni. The shack that was demolished by community members belonged to a suspect.

The police are still looking for the suspect in connection with the cases of kidnap, rape and assault to cause grievously bodily harm.