Majakaneng - Thousands of Majakaneng residents south of Brits marched to the Mooinooi police station on Wednesday, to demand the arrest of a farmer who allegedly shot a man for stealing oranges.
Tebogo Ndlovu, 24, was allegedly shot and wounded on August 2, after he and two other men were found stealing oranges from the farm. He has not been seen since that day and the incident was also reported to the police two days later.
His disappearance triggered a mass protest in the area. The N4 linking Rustenburg and Pretoria, the old Pretoria road and the Sun City roads were blocked and trucks torched, as irate residents wanted Ndlovu's body and the arrest of the farmer.
They suspected that the farmer killed him and fed him to crocodiles and lions that he breeds on the farm.
The police were investigating a case of attempted murder and a missing person.
Martha Ndlovu, the mother of Tebogo Ndlovu, 24, who was shot by a farmer for allegedly stealing oranges, sobbed during a protest march to demand the arrest of the farmer.
PHOTO: Molaole Montsho/ANA
On Wednesday, Tebogo's mother, Martha Ndlovu broke down and sobbed during the march as she held a poster which read: "We want Tebogo's body, please Mooinooi police".
She put on a brave face when the march was near the police station but she was overwhelmed by emotions and sobbed again before she was whisked into a car.
In the memorandum residents said they wanted the arrest of the farmer before the end of the week, and that he must bring back Tebogo whether dead or alive.
They further wanted the case to be moved from the Mooinooi police station, and wanted the release of all people arrested following the protest.
North West Community Safety MEC Mpho Motlhabane said the police were doing their best to investigate the case.
"I can confirmed here today, the police are really doing their best, already we have taken some blood for test, we hope that process could be sped up, after getting the results we will be able to understand and take the case forward, but we are not giving up on other avenues we can explore in terms of investigation. I can tell you that yesterday [Tuesday] the police dog unit searched that farm again," he said.
The march dispersed peacefully without any incident.
Majakaneng residents during a march to the Mooinooi police station on Wednesday.