PORT ELIZABETH, February 16 (ANA) – The sister of a Port Elizabeth man who was allegedly beaten to death by community members, told the Port Elizabeth High court how she helplessly watched her brother being struck with a “pick handle” to the head and dragged by his boxer shorts through a street in Greenfields, Booysens Park by a large group of angry community members.
The trial got underway on Tuesday when seven residents from Booysens Park pleaded not guilty to a string of charges which include housebreaking with the intention to kidnap, two counts of kidnapping, two counts of murder, public violence, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, two counts of arson and malicious damage to property.
According to the state, at around 7am on May 19, 2013, a group of people including the accused, Vukile Dyele, Mputhumi Maxela, Siyabulelo Sibhulo, Zalisile Mbolekwa, Ntombizoduma Mletelwa, Luvuyo Maneli and Zola Maranti targeted Lunga Xola and Bulelani Lombo who were believed to be members of a gang known as the “Big Naz Gang” responsible for robbing people at gunpoint in the Greenfields area in Booysens Park.
When police arrived at the scene the group of people, including the seven accused, had grown to a mob of about 500 people.
Ntombuzuko Xola told the court how she saw police officers placing Bulelani Lombo into a police van.
“The police tried to stop the people from assaulting them but they couldn’t stop them. The community continued with the assault. The group told the police that they were responsible for breaking in houses, rape and robbery. Bulelani was pulled out of the police van and assaulted. People wanted to assault the police for interrupting,” said Xola.
Xola said that she had followed her brother and Bulelani from her home to where they had dragged them to a nearby street in Greenfields.She said she stood there crying as she saw her brother Lunga, hallucinating and bleeding from being pelted or assaulted with “pick handles, knives or golf sticks”.
“I was very sad, I was very hurt, my mother was also there. Everybody who was there had something on them and were assaulting and said that they [Xola and Lombo] rape and do robberies,”
She said when a community member, Wandile Xola attempted to intervene on her brother’s behalf he too was struck on his arm with a pick handle by community members.
According to the state police later called for assistance. More police officials arrived as well as an ambulance, however the mob prevented them from removing the bodies.
The infuriated group then allegedly started stoning and damaging police vehicles and the ambulance.
Police then fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd which also enabled them to remove the bodies of the suspected gangsters.
State Prosecutor Advocate Jason Thysse stated in court documents that two homes belonging to Xola’s sister and mother were also set alight.
Thysse stated that the accused, together with co-perpetrators, had at all times acted in common purpose.
Both men died as a result of head injuries due to blunt force.
The trial continues.
-African News Agency (ANA)
