A Cape Town community erupted in protest on Thursday when a man arrested in connection with the murder of an 11-year-old was taken into the neighbourhood where she lived.
People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (Pagad) national co-ordinator Haroon Orrie said about 300 members of the Tafelsig community clashed with police on Thursday afternoon while the man was with police in his house‚ which is near Stacha Arendse’s home.
“The people’s worry is‚ will justice be served in this case? Will they convict someone? So what do you expect to happen in a community like this?” he said.
“They want justice‚ that’s all they want. A child’s life was taken‚ a child was raped‚ her life is over‚ they just want justice.”
Orrie said the community were frustrated by the presence of riot police‚ who were not brought in when gangs exchanged gunfire in the area.
After the visit to the home‚ police said the man had been charged with Stacha’s murder and would appear in Mitchell’s Plain Magistrate’s Court on Friday. He remains in custody‚ and police spokesman Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana said: “We urge the community not to take the law into their own hands but to allow the SAPS to do their work and bring the suspect before court.”
On Tuesday police had to stop Stacha’s father‚ Stanley Godfrey‚ attacking the arrested man. Godfrey believes his daughter was still alive when the community started looking for her a few hours after she disappeared on Monday afternoon. “Her body was still warm when we found her‚” he said.
She was found on a dune behind the Swartklip Sports Centre.
Last week‚ 1‚000 Lavender Hill residents attempted to attack a 50-year-old suspected of murdering 13-year-old Rene Tracy Roman after police took him to the scene where her decomposing body was found.
“Community members are warned to allow the police to do their work. Taking the law into their hands is an offence‚ punishable by law‚” said police spokesman Captain FC Van Wyk.
- TMG Digital/The Times
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