Residents in Kuyasa, alarmed at the rising scourge of crime in the area, have resolved to take matters in their own hands.
“We are claiming back our lives from skollies,” they asserted.
The men said they have had enough of knife and panga-wielding juvenile criminals running rampage in the township, brazenly stabbing, hacking and robbing innocent victims of the possessions and livehoods.
The war cry came as Lufefe Mengela, 49, was admitted to the Khayelitsha District Hospital on Sunday after he was hacked with a panga on his forehead and was left with a broken left hand after he was allegedly attacked by the gang of youths.
Two other residents also suffered in the attack, by the alleged marauders.
After hearing of this, a group of angry residents took to the streets and demolished three shacks said to be the homes of the alleged attackers of Mengela.
According to the men, they have identified a gang of about 10 delinquents who are bent on causing havoc in Kuyasa.
Section 59 resembled a war zone on Sunday, as the recalcitrants retaliated by attacking more elders-who had witnessed a robbery and reported them to the vigilante group- in the area.
“We saw them with a crate of beers which they robbed from a sheeben around here. They then attacked us with pangas and threw stones at us,” Mangela said.
Another resident, 41, who asked not to be named, is also nursing a gash in his face and a broken arm, courtesy of the alleged gang.
Mandla Dosi, a community leader, has vowed that they will leave no rock unturned in search of the robbers.
Dosi said the robberies are criminal activities.
He said the reason they demolished the shacks was so that the boys-averaging 16 years of age-to stay inside their homes, as opposed to living on their own in backyard shacks.
“The skolies are threatening to kill some community leaders whom they see as stumbling blocks...we have taken a decission to restore order here, because the thugs are now getting out of control. We want order here, and not under the hands of children who terrorise us
We are going to succeed in that. We will not stop the campaign,” Dosi said.
During the raid, Dosi said, they also discovered weapons, including a toy gun which they believed is used in the robberies.
None of the suspects were harmed though.
Mongezi Gabelana of the local Sanco chapter also raised his voice against crime in the area.
“Residents are not happy at all. This is criminal. We are saying thugs must move out of this area,” Gabelana said.
Dosi also said police came and briefly locked two residents in their van during the demolishing of the shacks, but they were soon released after some leaders talked to the police.
Sergeant Nosiphiwo Mtengwana of Harare police station, warned residents not to take the law into their hands..
Mtengwana said no criminal cases have been reported to them
