The people of Pimville, where three young men were murdered for breaking into a church and stealing chairs this week, are unrepentant and have threatened to resort to the "necklace" in dealing with criminals.
The three, whose ages are estimated at between 17 and 22, were found dead on Wednesday in the middle of a soccer field in Pimville Zone 3, opposite the church where they had allegedly broken in and stolen 20 chairs.
When residents were alerted at about 2am, they found the group of young people next to the railway line that separates Pimville and the Fred Clark informal settlement.
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The group, including the three dead youths, were allegedly carrying chairs belonging to the Paris Evangelical Presbyterian church.
| The community has been plagued by robberies, rapes and break-ins |
They were beaten up and stoned to death. Their naked bodies were found by the police the next day. Three others escaped across the railway line. A fourth member of the group, a girl, is in a critical condition in hospital.
According to the church's caretaker, a woman who lives opposite the church heard noises coming from the church and blew a whistle to alert residents. They came running and pursued the suspects.
The neighbourhood has been plagued by robberies, rapes and break-ins for some time. The frustrated residents convened a meeting on Monday and invited the police to attend, but they failed to arrive. The residents then decided on ways to defend themselves.
Osiah Juwelele, a church elder, said: "This was the fourth theft in three months. We fix broken windows and doors all the time, and 64 chairs have been stolen."
Superintendent Richard Luvhengo of the Soweto police confirmed that police were invited to Monday's meeting but they could not find the venue.
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