Daily Sun (August 27 2013) - RESIDENTS heard that a woman's body had been found with her eyes gouged out and her lips cut off. Rumours of the muthi murder led to violent clashes and by last night three people had been killed, three were wounded and another was missing . . .THESE ARE VICTIMS OF WHAT IS BEING CALLED THE TAVERN RIOTS!

The mutilated body of a young woman, naked except for a bra, was found a few metres from a tavern in Vuka Search squatter camp in Carletonville on the West Rand on Sunday morning. As word spread, angry residents, mostly women, gathered and marched to the tavern. They said the fact that her face had been mutilated indicated a muthi killing and said the tavern was a danger to women in the area. They demanded that it should be closed.

When the owner wouldn't come outside to talk to the people, windows were broken and bottles smashed against the walls. Then the people went home.

But, according to residents, the tavern owner and the mlungu owner of the plot on which the tavern is situated, went out yesterday morning hunting down a resident whom they accused of planning the "tavern riot".

Community member Lebohang Matisa (36) said they took the man back to the tavern. "They attacked him with pangas inside the tavern," Stokie Modise (37) said. Word spread about the attack and about 60 residents marched to the tavern. By now cops had arrived.

"Cops went inside and fetched the man who had been attacked with pangas. He was taken to the hospital," said a witness. But before cops could leave the scene, the plot owner who was inside the tavern allegedly fired shots.

"People began to run in all directions," said the witness. Two people lay dead and three were injured. One of the wounded, Mohau Matisa (39), who was hit in the left arm, told Daily Sun from his hospital bed he was just walking by.

"I heard the shots and the next thing I was bleeding," he said. "I ran to the main road and waited for paramedics. I am glad to be alive."

Sidwell Kebane (20), another wounded resident, said: "I was visiting my brother. I saw the crowd and went to ask what was going on." He was hit in the right arm.

"I'm in shock. I hope this plot owner goes to jail for what he did," said

Kebane. One of the dead has been identified as Remakete Kebane (30). The second victim was not identified at the time of going to print.

Speaking to Daily Sun, ward committee member Stokie said the people were angered by the way the woman, known only as Dikomo, was killed. "The shooting is a result of the tavern being vandalised," said Stokie.

Some of the men are said to have joined the protest that ended with the tavern being vandalised. Cop spokeswoman Constable Elsie Tshonte said the plot owner is in police custody. "He will be charged with two counts of murder and attempted murder," she said.

See the Daily Sun mobi site for more on this and other stories....

The Daily Sun is South Africa's largest daily newspaper with an average circulation of 330 000 and a readership of 5.7m (as per AMPS 2012ab). Its Facebook page can be accessed here. It can be followed on Twitter here. To find about advertising on the Daily Sun click here.

Issued through the Politicsweb iService