Kagisho, Nothern Cape - A 16-year-old boy was murdered on Saturday in what is suspected to be an ongoing gang war that is ranging in Galeshewe.
Xolani Swartbooi’s body was found lying next to his friends’ home in Tebogo Maseng Street in Kagisho with some of his clothes missing.
“Although there was not a lot of blood where his body was lying, his face had several cuts and it looks as if they sliced him up. His shoes and pants are missing and the shirt that he was wearing has been torn,” Swartbooi’s friend, Velile Jantjies, said.
He said that Swartbooi could have been killed by local gang members who are operating in the area.
“We were drinking together last night (Friday) and he told me that some of the boys who belong to a certain gang in this area wanted to hack him to death with an axe and pangas. He said that the boys, who were in a gang of about five members or so, had threatened to kill him on several occasions. Although I did not see how he was killed, I believe that this gang is responsible for his murder,” Jantjies said.
He added that on Friday night he tried to find out from some of the gang members why they apparently wanted to kill Swartbooi, but instead of providing him with answers, one of the gang members insulted him.
“I even tried to take Swartbooi to one of the gang member’s house to try and find a solution to the misunderstanding, but no one was at home when we were there on Friday night,” Jantjies said.
Swartbooi’s father, Piet Swartbooi, said that he was told of the tragedy while he was at work.
“We are all traumatised by this incident. The last time I saw him alive was yesterday (on Friday),” the father said as he tried to hold back the tears.
Another family member, who did not want to be named, said that Swartbooi was living with his grandmother and his siblings in Morris Lenyibi Street, which is just a few streets away from where Swartbooi’s body was found.
She said that although he sniffed glue and had dropped out of school, Swartbooi was a good person.
“He did not like violence and was a very good person. He just liked to smoke his glue,” she added.
Some of the residents in the area said that they are sick and tired “of gangsters that are operating in our township”.
“We will now mobilise the residents to plan a march to the office of the MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison, Martha Bartlett, and to the provincial office of the police to demand that this area be allocated more police officers. We are no longer safe in our homes as long as gangsters continue to terrorise our neighbourhoods,” they added.
The Northern Cape police said that they were not aware of Swartbooi’s murder.
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