By Doreen Mokgolo
Chaos erupted outside the Kwa-Thema Police Station, Ekurhuleni when an angry mob of residents picketing outside the station took out their frustration by assaulting two Somali nationals in full view of the police.
The residents were at the station to demand the release of a South African national, Kula Rapodile, who was arrested for a business break-in on Monday.
Rapodile is one of the seven Kwa-Thema residents on the list of suspects who were summoned for cases relating to the vandalism of foreign-owned shops on Tuesday last week. Residents marched to the station last week challenging the police to arrest all of them.
The two foreign nationals turned up at the Kwa-Thema Police Station to seek police escorts to collect their valuables from their non-operational tuck shop. But their timing was bad; the residents, spotting them, turned on them.
Speaking to Scrolla.Africa, the victim, Bashiir Farah, said he doesn’t understand why every time something goes wrong in the community they are to be blamed.
“When there are water disruptions, power cuts or someone is killed, residents vandalise our stores as if we are responsible.
“We haven’t been allowed to operate our tuck shop in the last three months, yet even today they are blaming us for things we don’t know about,” he said.
Though the tuck shop owner fears for his life on the South African streets, he said he is not ready to go back to his home country.
“There is nothing left for me in Somalia. I have built a life for myself in South Africa in the past 15 years in the country,” he said.
Community leader Simphiwe Maphanga said: “All we want is for Rapodile to be released. The station commander, Colonel Nhlanhla Kunene, promised us that residents will not be arrested and promised to call a community meeting with an update,” he said.
Captain Mokgale Masethe addressed the residents and asked that they give the station seven days to respond to their grievances.
He cautioned the residents from taking the law into their own hands, as this is a criminal offence.
“Should those assaulted press charges, the police will be forced to arrest those implicated,” he said.
Pictured above: Residents of Kwa-Thema.
Image source: Doreen Mokgolo
