Last Wednesday a group of irate Vukani residents gathered outside the Grahamstown Magistrate’s Court for the release of Mxolisi Phunga Phunga and Kwenzekile Nonesi. The two men were arrested for assaulting two murder suspects, Ayanda Mthwala and Luthando Klaas.
Last Wednesday a group of irate Vukani residents gathered outside the Grahamstown Magistrate’s Court for the release of Mxolisi Phunga Phunga and Kwenzekile Nonesi. The two men were arrested for assaulting two murder suspects, Ayanda Mthwala and Luthando Klaas.
Mthwala and Klaas were arrested in connection with the murder of Gideon Nikelo and subsequently released on R500 bail in June. However, since then the residents have accused Mthwala and Klaas of continuing to committing crimes, and want to take the law into their own hands.
Last Sunday the same group of around 50 residents gathered outside Klaas’s house, trying to force them to leave Vukani. The residents say they had approached the police beforehand to warn Mthwala and Klaas that they are not welcome in the community any more and they should leave. "The police tell us we cannot take the law into our own hands and there is nothing we can do," says Vukani resident Fikiswa Maqaunda. "We are not satisfied with that answer."
“We told them we want them to leave but they got violent,” says Michael Nikelo, the brother of the deceased, Gideon Nikelo. When the police arrived they arrested Mxolisi Phunga Phunga and Kwenzekile Nonesi for allegedly assaulting Mthwala and Klaas.
The two appeared in court last Wednesday on charges of assault. Incensed, the residents embarked upon a police escorted protest at 9am on Wednesday morning from Vukani, ending up outside the magistrate’s court. “We are marching for the release of Mxolisi and Kwenzekile because we believe that there is no case as they were first provoked by the killers,” says Michael.
It turns out that Ayanda Mthwala has had a history of run-ins with the law. "He was charged with murder in 2004 and again in 2006, the cases were both dropped due to insufficient evidence," says Inspector Maleki of the local police. In October he will be appearing in court for charges of robbery as well as assault and on 5 November he will appear in court again in connection with Gideon Nikelo’s murder.
“He killed another three guys before he killed my brother,” says Michael, “and every time they are arrested they are granted bail and are allowed back in our community.”
After the police broke up the dispute at Luthando’s house, Mthwala only pointed out three suspects: Michael, Phunga Phunga and Nonesi. However, Michael was not taken in but Phunga Phunga and Nonesi -who are both eyewitnesses in the alleged murder of Gideon Nikelo- were arrested.
Vukani residents first protested outside of the Grahamstown Police Station on Monday. "We are protesting because we are tired of crime in our area!" says Patrick Mbuyane, a Vukani resident. "We want justice to be done against the people who commit murder, rape our sisters and children and rob us. We want to know why these criminals are being released on bail.” Inspector Sherolene Williams from the SAPS communications and media liasion office says; “The police also opposed Mthwala’s bail but as we explained to the community once the magistrate has passed a judgment there is nothing we, as the police, can do.”
