Fourteen youths from Khayelitsha have been arrested in connection with the multiple stabbing of an 18-year-old man, police said.
Luzuko April, a Grade 9 pupil at Kwamfundo Secondary School in Khayelitsha, was critically wounded during the altercation and died on his arrival at hospital.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said witnesses reported seeing the group of youths entering April’s home on Wednesday after kicking down the front door.
One of the suspects, according to Van Wyk, stabbed April and when he tried to escape, he was stoned and beaten with a panga and left to die, about 100 metres from his home.
During a follow-up investigation, 14 suspects aged between 17 and 25 years old, allegedly belonging to the Amavura gang, were arrested.
The suspects were in detention yesterday, awaiting a decision from a senior public prosecutor on whether they will be charged or not.
Van Wyk said it is alleged that these gang members are causing conflict at the school and also committing crime within the community.
The teenager’s grandfather Mziwamadoda April, 55, said one of his grandchild’s friends alerted the family that April had been stabbed.
“No matter what kind of person he was, the way he was killed was senseless and disturbing. He was involved in a fight with a group of rival gangs. We are shocked. The law should take its course,” said April.
He admitted his grandson was a gangster.
“We would not deny that he was a gang member because we are not always with him and don’t know what he does when he’s outside this house. Here at home he was a good boy and had respect,” said the grandfather.
The teenager’s uncle Buyisile Dyantyi, 50, said it was extremely disturbing that community members lived in fear of the gang members, whom he said were controlling the streets. “It is never a good feeling to lose a child like that,” said Dyantyi.
Harare Community Policing Forum chairperson Ronnie Busakwe welcomed the arrest saying it would deter the suspects from committing further crimes.
“We are happy and applaud the police that the suspects are behind bars. The community need to work with police by going to court and testifying to what they saw.
“Failing to assist police would mean the suspects might be released and the community will blame the police.”
A community leader in Harare, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the gang members were as young as 13 years old and the numbers kept growing.