Cape Town - Apologetic Parkwood residents held an interfaith vigil for slain e-hailing driver Abongile Mafalala at the weekend.
Mafalala, 31, was killed in a deadly mob attack in Parkwood last week, allegedly after gangsters robbed him then pinned a false abduction on him that resulted in residents gruesomely assaulting him and then setting him alight.
Following the incident, police apprehended at least nine suspects believed to have been involved.
Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said all apprehended suspects would appear in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court today.
Parkwood community leader Max Swartz said that, shaken by the incident, community leaders had come together before the weekend to discuss the attack and what they could do to rectify it, leading to them settling on taking accountability for the residents’ brutal attack on Mafalala.
Swartz said: “The community is very apologetic about what happened here on Tuesday – even those who did not participate understand that what happened was wrong, and we want to take responsibility for what happened.
“What some residents did, cost a family their loved one, and while we can’t take that back we can show them how sorry we are and beg for their forgiveness.
“Abongile’s blood should never have been spilt.
“We are sorry as a community, and we also believe that those responsible should be held accountable for their actions.”
Swartz, who also spoke at the interfaith session, said the Parkwood community wanted to show the world and province that the community was not racist, but that it was a multicultural community.
Parkwood councillor Donovan Nelson said: “What happened on Tuesday should never have happened. Someone lost his life while trying to put food on the table. He was wrongfully accused due to false information, and it had major consequences.
“Today, the community of Parkwood is seeking forgiveness. This is a bold step and one in the right direction. We often speak of a South Africa that can endure reconciliation, but we rarely see that. Today we will witness a community united in reconciliation.
“I am proud of our leaders taking this bold step. Recognising your faults can be difficult. They have led through this difficult time,” Nelson said.
