POLITICS

"Pupils hacked to death!" - Daily Sun

"Blood flows as gangs go on the rampage" - front page lead, September 22 2014

Daily Sun (September 22 2014) - EVIL gangsters hacked three pupils to death last week, and injured another two.

Residents decided they had had enough of the deadly gang war.

SO ON FRIDAY THEY TOOK THE LAW INTO THEIR OWN HANDS!

They went hunting for gangsters in Barcelona in Daveyton and Etwatwa, Ekurhuleni after the week of death.

Mbali Skhosana (17) was stabbed and killed just before she left for school on Tuesday, ward councillor Nolwazi Tati told the Daily Sun.

He said it was part of the gang war that is tearing apart communities in the area.

"On Wednesday, Mduduzi Motloung, who was 16, was hacked to death with pangas," Tati said.

"And on Thursday the same gang claimed the life of another teenager, Bongumusa Msweli, who died on his way to hospital after he was also chopped by pangas.

"There are many gangs here, like Power Of Boys (POB), Power Of Love (POL) and Original Vish Lovers (OVL).

"It is alleged that OVL is terrorising other groups and community members by robbing, raping and killing them."

Tati said the death of the three teenagers last week came after a series of serious crimes was reported to cops, but nothing happened.

Two other teens, Patrick Skhosana (18) and Sammy Monyane (18), are in terrible pain after they were also attacked.

"I belong to the POB gang," Patrick said.

"We are a peace-loving group, but OVL members have been attacking us and accusing us of taking their girls."

Mbali's uncle, Lucas Skhosana (33), said he couldn't believe the brutal way in which his niece died.

"Mbali was lying in a pool of blood," Lucas said.

"She was a sweet girl who loved school. She dreamt of studying medicine."

Christina Motloung (49), mum of Mduduzi, said her son's head was bashed into little pieces.

"Mduduzi was a happy soul who loved his brothers and sisters," the sobbing mum said.

Bongumusa's heartbroken mum was too upset to speak to the SunTeam.

The teens' deaths made the community furious, and residents marched to Etwatwa Police Station on Friday. Later in the day, a group of residents aged between 12 and 26 years hunted for suspected gangsters and burned down shacks belonging to alleged gang members. Selina Zondo (93) said a teen who lives in the same yard as her managed to cheat death.

"An angry mob burned down his shack," gogo Selina told Daily Sun.

"Luckily it happened a few minutes after I saw him leaving the yard."

The People's Paper spoke to two students who said everyone was afraid. "Some pupils join gangs because they're looking for protection," one of them said.

Etwatwa cop shop's Tryni Nirtz said that she could only confirm Mbali's death.

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 274 165 (Audit Bureau of Circulations 2nd Quarter 2014) 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.

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