The situation was tense on Sunday at Madimbo village outside Musina when enraged community members barricaded roads with burning tyres and other objects in protest against the police´s reluctance to arrest a fellow policeman who had allegedly shot and killed a Grade 12 learner in cold blood on Saturday night.

During the ensuing chaos, police arrested three members of the community and they were charged with public violence. In a bid to diffuse the tension, police allegedly visited the family of the deceased the next day and told them that they had arrested the suspect who had shot their son. The family apparently found out that this was not true, which further added to the animosity and anguish.

The victim, 20-year-old Moloko Setjie, was a Grade 12 learner at Ratshisase Secondary School. He was driving back with a friend, following a study session, when the vehicle he was driving in was spotted by patrolling police. It is alleged that the police suspected them of driving a stolen car, whereupon they followed them from Mapakoni until they reached the deceased‘s home. It is alleged that when Moloko climbed out of the car, a police officer shot him at point-blank range, without uttering a word. The details of what exactly happened is, however, still very unclear.

The incident angered the community, who went on the rampage on Sunday, destroying whatever they could lay their hands on. This later turned into riots in the sleepy village, which led to people being injured during the fracas with the police. More than 10 people are believed to have been injured when police fired rubber bullets and teargas at the protesters.

Gleren Setjie, brother of the deceased, said the police visited them on Monday and told them that the suspect had been arrested, but they later found out that it was not true. “We had thought that police would act in a respectable manner and lead by example, to show that no one is above the law, by arresting the police officer. Now we have seen that they could not act against their own and it is painful for us as a family to hear that the suspect is still roaming the streets freely,” he said.

He said the incident has shown that the lives of the poor do not have value before the law and that some in the community are untouchable. “My brother was not armed and he did not commit any crime. They are leaving serious and violent criminals to cause anarchy in the communities with impunity, but they do not hesitate to open fire on a defenceless young man. We are greatly saddened as a family. What worries us more is the fact that the police lied to us. We are in mourning, and to lie to us and to say that they have arrested the suspect means further pain and is an insult on us,” he said.

Gleren said they were consoled by the unity that has been shown by the community. They now hope that the wheels of justice will move fast and that the suspect will be arrested. “The men in blue are supposed to protect us, but we are shocked (to find out) that they have become instruments to kill innocent people. Our brother’s dreams have been cut off abruptly. He had an ambition that one day he would be a chemical engineer, but all this now is a dream that will never come true,” he said.

Mr Philemon Munyai, the local civic chairperson, said the community was concerned about the developments in the case. “When a person commits a crime, we expect that person to be arrested. In this case they (the police) felt that arresting the poor boy would be a waste of time and felt that killing him was the best option. We expected them to arrest their colleague who had killed in cold blood, but it seems as if they are dragging their feet because he is one of them. We are not sure if this case will ever see its day in court. Looking at how things are going, it seems the matter will just be swept under the carpet. However, we will not rest as a community until they do the right thing by arresting the suspect," he said.

Meanwhile, the three community members who were arrested for public violence emanating from the chaos in the village briefly appeared in the Mutale Magistrate´s Court on Tuesday. They were given bail of R500 each. Peter Makhado (24), Lucky Mukwevho (19) and Tshililo Munzhelele (38) will appear in court again on the 29th of March 2011.

Tshamutumbu police spokesperson Constable Peggy Ramavhunga confirmed the incident, but explained that community members did not always understand how the police systems worked. “The alleged suspect is one of our members, and in this case we cannot be players and referees at the same time. For this reason, we have handed over the case to the ICD, who will do the investigations. I can also reveal that the suspect has been arrested and he will appear in court soon. The community should have trust in us. There is no way we would cover up this case and they should just wait for justice to take its course,” she said.

She said the situation in the area was calm.