Soshanguve residents say they’re ready to take law into their hands

Some residents of Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, say they are ready to take the law into their own hands, should the government fail to live up to its duty of bringing criminals to book.

Scores of Marry Me community members descended at the Pretoria North Magistrate Court earlier to track proceedings in the case of six Community Policing Forum members who were brutally murdered while on crime watch.

One such resident is Precious Mmoledi, who stays in Extension 5, adjacent to the informal settlement.

She was in court to support the victims of the gruesome incident.

Mmoledi says the massacre has rubbed her off the wrong way, as the victims in the case were responsible for shielding them and their children from danger.

“When we get hold of such people in my community, we are going to take the law into our own hands because the SAPS officials who are supposed to help us don’t care about us. The government is failing us,” alleges the Extension 5 resident.

She says people who commit such crimes deserve to either stay behind bars or be annihilated.

Members of the public were barred from the court room where the 27-year-old suspect in the matter appeared. No reason was given for this.

The accused has meanwhile abandoned his bail bid and is set to return to court on the 17^th of April.

He faces six charges of murder, five for attempted murder, two for aggravated robbery, one for being in possession of an unlawful firearm, another for being in possession of live ammunition, and for being in the country without the required papers.

NPA Gauteng spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, says the gun which was discovered in the suspect’s possession still needs to undergo ballistics testing to determine its link to the massacre.

“There are other aspects within the investigations that we are looking for to link the accused to the offense. He was also found in possession of an unlawful firearm. That firearm will need to be taken in for ballistics. If found positive, then that piece of evidence will also link him to the offense,” says Mahanjana.

The 50-year-old accused alongside the suspect will be applying for a formal bail hearing on the 10th of April, which the state intends to oppose.

MKP Tshwane members are meanwhile unhappy with how the NPA is handling the case.

They accuse the prosecuting authority of being a complete failure.

Tshwane MKP’s Andile Nkonyane says the NPA doesn’t seem to be treating the case with the urgency it deserves.

Nkonyane believes that, due to the case’s sensitivity, sufficient evidence against the suspects should have already been gathered.

According to Nkonyane, a week is enough time for the state to acquire reports on ID parades and ballistics tests.

Despite the state’s alleged nonchalant approach it seems to be taking in the matter, MKP ground forces vow to ensure no stones are left unturned in the case.

“We are crying as Umkhonto weSizwe. We need assistance and we need everyone to intervene on this matter. We will not let the matter go down unattended because we can see the NPA, and the SAPS are trying to do away with the case. Why are the SAPS officials here busy protecting criminals? They must focus on getting more criminals responsible for this case out there but they are busy protecting criminals who killed our brothers and fathers,” exclaims Nkonyane.

ActionSA Tshwane chairperson, Derick Mahlangu, called for the return of the death penalty, saying time has come for convicted murderers to face the fate of their victims.

“I think its high time as South Africa that we reconsider the death sentence. If it’s that easy for someone to take a life, why do they take that person to jail? That person cannot be rehabilitated in prison, instead they go there and come back into society to commit more heinous crimes. I am of the view that if you committed a crime such as taking another person’s life, why don’t they take yours if they have proof that they are the one who committed this kind of criminal offense?” asked Mahlangu.

Mahlangu says his party will also be following the matter closely to ensure justice for the victims. Written by Odirile Rabolao