Elvis Nyati, a Zimbabwean, was killed after being stoned and set alight in a mob attack in Diepsloot, north west of Johannesburg, overnight, according to his relatives.
Officers have been taking testimonies from witnesses to the attack, according to police.
“Reports that we’re hearing from witnesses is that there’s a small group of individuals that went door to door and then when they came to this house, this young man just bolted out of the house and they after him and tragically he was killed,” says police spokesperson Brenda Muridili. The police went to the area as soon as they received that information, but by the time they arrived, the crowd had dispersed.”
A separate event in the region resulted in the arrest of 24 undocumented foreign immigrants, according to police.
Diepsloot residents have organized a demonstration in response to rising crime.
One person was killed in a mob attack in #Diepsloot overnight.
It’s understood he was stoned and set alight23 alleged undocumented foreign nationals also been arrested
I will be LIVE with police on the latest @MorningLiveSABC at 6am with @SakinaKamwendo#SABCNEWS pic.twitter.com/xgDMX9QchP
— Chriselda ‘Babes We Ndaba’ Lewis (@Chriseldalewis) April 7, 2022
Roads have been blocked by burning tyres. This comes after at least seven people were killed and 14 others were injured in previous shootings.
Community members went to the police station on Tuesday to deliver a memorandum demanding increased police visibility in the problematic area.
The video below is on the protest in Diepsloot:
On Wednesday, Police Minister Bheki Cele paid a visit to Diepsloot and assured residents that police would be visible in the area.
Police Minister Cele addresses the Diepsloot community:
Residents, however, did not hesitate to take matters into their own hands.
Diepsloot’s position remains tight.