The family of a mentally disabled teen, killed by an angry mob in Samora Machel, Cape Town, says the police have let them down.
15-year-old Thando Hani was beaten to death after he was wrongfully accused of theft.
A thief, aware of his mental state, allegedly gave the boy stolen items after realizing residents were searching for him.
Thando’s family says the police, instead of helping them, told them to go and investigate the case themselves.
Sera Konco, a community leader said, “we are pleading with the Vosho community to stop killing our innocent children. If the child is guilty, call the police, don’t take matters into your hands. You’ve now killed a mentally challenged child [who was pointed out as a criminal]. There are well-known criminals in this community, but not a single person dares to point them out.
After the horrific murder of Hani, who was attacked by a mob accusing him of breaking into a house and making off with cellphones and cash, his distraught grandmother says, the teen was so brutally beaten, they couldn’t even dress him in the funeral clothes they had bought.
She says the police has let them down.
Nelisiwe Hani said, “the police told us to go investigate the person who accused Thando of stealing and bring back the information to them.”
“We are not detectives and if we were to go to the person, they would accuse us of trying to take revenge and kill us. We just want justice.”
The community policing forum in Samora Machel says there are challenges where, in many instances, police take time to respond.
But it warns that all those involved in Thando’s murder will be brought to book.
Samora Machel CPF’s Bongani Maqungwana said, “we have been preaching to our community that what they must do is, whenever they see something sinister they must the neighborhood watches, streets committees or even us the CPF… because at the end of the day if you beat a person to death you are attracting a criminal record for something that could have been avoided.”
Community members say this infamous pond is where children as young as 14 have been killed by angry mobs, accusing them of committing crimes without any proof.
They say while concerns about crime in the area are genuine, vigilantism is not the answer and leads to innocent people dying, including children.
Source: eNCA
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