Pretoria - Police officers that kill us for trying to make living have no place in our community - Soshanguve community members have warned.
The community of Soshanguve north of the city torched the local police station earlier on Friday after a community member was beaten to death.
According to community members still gathered at the entrance of the community just after the R80 Mabopane Highway, police officers embarked on a raid chasing youngsters selling pirated CDs early in the morning.
However things escalated as members watched in horror as a group of officers beat Thomas Ditshele,30, to death after he had fallen while trying to escape the police.
In anger the members said they then demanded to see the station commander of the Soshanguve police station who they were informed would arrive at 3pm.
But instead of having the head of the police arrive to answer for the callous murder of Ditshele, police allegedly started pelting the community with rubber bullets.
Picture: Goitsemang Tlhabye/Pretoria News.
The members then turned their rage towards the police station and the township's main road where some threw large boulders and stones on the road, while others burnt tyres and started breaking down the police station fence.
Picture: Goitsemang Tlhabye/Pretoria News.
The younger brother to the deceased Amos Ditshele, said he could not believe his brother was killed for a R5 disc.
“Unemployment is very high here so my brother like others was just trying to make money. They brutally killed my brother for three discs he had in his possession.”
“The community retaliated because everyone knew my brother he was quiet and kept to himself most of the time he never bothered anyone. We’ve had enough of police who do as they please and think they can get away with it as if they are above the law.”
#sapsGP Members of the community threw petrol bombs at #SAPS Soshanguve station after an altercation with #SAPS members which angered them. A case of public violence and an inquest docker are opened for further investigation. SW https://t.co/GgLNi4NA4b pic.twitter.com/mKNF6OnEEJ
— SA Police Service (@SAPoliceService) November 2, 2018
Ditshele's elder sister, Francinah, said they wanted the police to account for their actions and tell the family why they attacked her brother, who was unarmed.
Francinah said police also shot their 12-year-old nephew on the back whilst he was returning home from school.
Another community member Jan Maropola lay in pain on floor surrounded by community members trying to assist.
Maropola was allegedly shot twice in the face by police as he returned from fetching a friends child from school.
A community member who asked not to be named said he was shot in the arm as he got off the taxi from work