Cape Town -
An anti-vigilante campaigner has been arrested in connection with a vigilante killing in Mfuleni.
Angy Peter, 32, a founding member of the Social Justice Coalition (SJC), was arrested with her partner, Isaac Mbadu, 26, in connection with the murder of Siphiwo Rowan Mbevu.
According to the SJC, police allege Mbevu was necklaced. He was found on October 14 severely burnt and beaten.
Peter has worked for the SJC since its formation in 2008 and was instrumental in the bid to have a commission of inquiry look into the reasons for the vigilante killings in Khayelitsha this year.
Premier Helen Zille established the commission in August to look into allegations of police inefficiency and a breakdown in relations between police and the community. There have been 19 reported cases of vigilante killings in the city.
The commission was formed after a comprehensive report on the breakdown in the criminal justice system in Khayelitsha was submitted by the SJC, the Treatment Action Campaign, Equal Education, the Triangle Project and Ndifuna Ukwazi, all represented by the Women’s Legal Centre.
At a press briefing yesterday, Gavin Silber, of the SJC, condemned Mbevu’s murder, but claimed he was a known criminal.
“He is reported to have regularly stolen from and assaulted residents and, despite their regular reports to the police, action was rarely taken. Frustrated by this, community members had on more than one occasion attempted to assault or kill Mbevu. Peter and Mbadu intervened on several occasions to prevent this from happening,” Silber said.
Silber said Peter had recently reformed Mbevu who had started working as an activist for the SJC.
Police spokesman Colonel André Traut confirmed that Peter and Mbadu had been arrested with two other residents, Christopher Dina, 25, and Azola Dayimane, 24.
They were charged with murder and kidnapping.
Traut said the matter was still under investigation.
The four accused made their first appearance in the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court last Tuesday where the case was postponed for a bail application until November 1. They are in custody in Pollsmoor.
l A member of the SJC alleged police officers beat a Khayelitsha boy with plastic pipes last night.
The member, who did not want to be named, said there had been a commotion just before the 8.30pm incident during which shots were fired in Green Point, Khayelitsha and two police vans chased a group of teenagers across a field.
“The officer had the teenager of about 13 and beat him with a pipe. Another officer joined in hitting him.”
Traut said he had not been informed of the incident and would make inquiries today.
Cape Times