Two men who were attacked by an angry mob in Tantyi yesterday, 06 November were taken into police custody while the third man, who sustained serious injuries was rushed to hospital.
Two men who were attacked by an angry mob in Tantyi yesterday, 06 November were taken into police custody while the third man, who sustained serious injuries was rushed to hospital.
A Tantyi man was on his way to the shop at about 5pm on Thursday when he came across three men near L Street.
As an unsuspecting M Street resident Luxolo Mnyane casually walked past three men who were walking towards him, one hastily and without warning grabbed his phone from his hand.
Mnyane told Grocott's Mail that he immediately grabbed the man who had taken his cell phone and wrestled him to the ground and the other two then took out knives and came towards him.
"One came towards me just after I had managed to regain my phone from the other guy and he stabbed me on the hand," said Mnyane.
He said he sustained a small cut on his hand as a result of the stabbing. Soon after the incident a community member who had witnessed what was happening then came running towards them with a hammer in his hand. When the three suspects spotted the oncoming community member they ran away.
"The man [community member]knew one of the three men and said they had just robbed an elderly woman who had just got off a taxi," Mnyane said.
Mnyane said the man who came to his rescue, however, did not know the woman who was allegedly robbed by the three men. More community members, according to Mnyane then joined the chase towards Zolani informal settlement. The community members caught up with the three men in Zolani.
Mnyane said according to the first people who found the three men in Zolani, two of them are from Extension 9 and one is from Zolani.
Community members attacked the three men and recovered another cell phone in their possession, which they allegedly said the men said they took from a Mary Waters learner.
Police had arrived at this point and according to Mnyane took the cell phone and kept it. Mnyane said police took a statement from him after the incident.
Mnyane said the younger men who had grabbed his phone was badly injured and rushed to hospital after they were attacked by the mob, while the other two were taken into custody.
Grahamstown police spokesperson Captain Milanda Coetzer said she could confirm that police had arrested two men in connection with the incident in Zolani. Coetzer said details were still sketchy by Friday, 07 November.
"They were detained at the Joza Police Station," she said.
