The Thohoyandou community is fed-up with crime. They made this known when they beat a young man unconscious, who, in his drunken stupor, grabbed a phone from a young girl during the weekend. The incident happened at Thohoyandou Block F.

The young man and his accomplices were spotted earlier while terrorising residents at Thohoyandou Block F. It is alleged that the thugs, who were five in number and were visibly intoxicated, were grabbing all items of value from passersby.

It is alleged that the girls who were robbed of a cell phone were returning from another section of the township when they were accosted by the group, who were armed with knives and other sharp instruments. They demanded the girls’ cell phones. The girls ran away but one of them was not so lucky as her cell phone was snatched by one of the thugs.

The other girls ran and notified the community about the robbery, where after a manhunt was launched to trace the thugs. The gang was later spotted at another part of the township, still holding their beer bottles. Sensing danger, the group ran away in different directions, but one who was heavily intoxicated was trapped and left to the mercy of the crowd which bayed for his blood.

They beat him with any object they could lay their hands on and it was only the arrival of the police that saved the young thug from certain death. The phone was not found and is believed to have been taken by other gang members. Emergency personnel were called and they removed the man, who was still holding a sharp screwdriver in his hand, to hospital.

One community member, who preferred to remain anonymous, said the community was tired of crime that happens on a daily basis. “We are hard hit in this area with many break-ins and robberies taking place here; enough is enough,” he said. He said many Indian families had been attacked and robbed at their homes on many occasions. “We just hope what happened today will send a strong message to those who might be tempted into crime not to set foot in our township,” he said.