By Buziwe Nocuze
- New initiate threatens friend with knife after refusing to return borrowed phone in Cape Town township.
- Community members say the suspect’s behaviour brings shame to the initiation tradition after his recent graduation.
A newly initiated man (ikrwala) in Cape Town’s Crossroads township has been arrested after he allegedly pulled a knife on his friend who lent him a phone.
The victim told Scrolla.Africa he was sitting at the suspect’s sister’s house when his friend asked to borrow his Samsung A16 phone to browse social media.
“He borrowed my phone to do a blog since he didn’t have data. I gave him my phone, and a few minutes later, I wanted it back, and he lied about giving it back to me,” said the victim.
When the victim insisted on getting his phone back, the new initiate became aggressive.
“He got angry while refusing to give back my phone; he even took a knife and wanted to stab me. I decided not to fight as I didn’t want to get injured. I went to report to his parents, but it didn’t help as he continued wanting to stab me,” he said.
The victim, who was shocked by his friend’s behaviour, opened a case with the police.
“I am disappointed in him because when I borrowed my phone, it never crossed my mind that he would do something like this. He robbed me smart, or he lost the phone and told himself that instead of replacing it, he would lie,” he said.
Community member Luzuko Tukani said the incident brings shame to the initiation tradition.
“I feel sorry for the victim. As for the new man, I am disappointed and ashamed that he just came from initiation school. What he did shows that he didn’t learn anything,” said Tukani.
He added that some men go to initiation school just to be called men but continue acting like boys.
Western Cape police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed that a 20-year-old suspect was arrested for armed robbery at Nyanga police station.
Pictured above: Police lights.
Source: File
