Sixty-five people are expected to appear in the Benoni Magistrate's Court today after they were arrested in connection with the murder of two suspected gang members in Etwatwa, Ekurhuleni, this week.
Police swopped on the community members after they had had what they described as a "successful" engagement with the community before arresting them on Tuesday night.
The meeting was held at about 6pm and the arrests were made at about 10pm.
Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said community members were arrested while patrolling their area when they were found carrying dangerous weapons.
He said they had earlier assaulted two men they suspected to be members of One Vigil Love (OVL), a gang they accused of various crimes, including rape, murder and robbery.
"It is suspected that members of the community who were armed with dangerous weapons were on a manhunt for the youngsters accused of committing serious and violent crimes in the area.
"They suspect that the group belongs to a gang known as OVL.
"At this stage investigations are continuing to establish if the victims were members of the gang or not. Two other people were seriously injured yesterday [Tuesday] when the community attacked them," Dlamini said.
He said the suspects would face charges of public violence, possession of dangerous weapons and assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm.
He added that the bodies of two men who were allegedly killed were dumped near the railway line in the area on Monday.
A member of the community, who asked not to be named, confirmed that they were carrying weapons because they were looking for armed gangsters.
The residents, who asked not to be named, told Sowetan on Tuesday they had torched shacks of some of the suspected members of the notorius OVL gang and also killed two of them.
"Enough is enough. If it means we have to die, so be it. We have decided that we finish this gang," said one of the residents.
"People are mugged in their homes. These boys attack people as they enter their homes. They rob them of their money and cellphones. "They stab you if you do not have what they want," added the resident.
xabav@sowetan.co.za
65 in court for 'gang' murders
Sixty-five people are expected to appear in the Benoni Magistrate's Court today after they were arrested in connection with the murder of two suspected gang members in Etwatwa, Ekurhuleni, this week.
Police swopped on the community members after they had had what they described as a "successful" engagement with the community before arresting them on Tuesday night.
The meeting was held at about 6pm and the arrests were made at about 10pm.
Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said community members were arrested while patrolling their area when they were found carrying dangerous weapons.
He said they had earlier assaulted two men they suspected to be members of One Vigil Love (OVL), a gang they accused of various crimes, including rape, murder and robbery.
"It is suspected that members of the community who were armed with dangerous weapons were on a manhunt for the youngsters accused of committing serious and violent crimes in the area.
"They suspect that the group belongs to a gang known as OVL.
"At this stage investigations are continuing to establish if the victims were members of the gang or not. Two other people were seriously injured yesterday [Tuesday] when the community attacked them," Dlamini said.
He said the suspects would face charges of public violence, possession of dangerous weapons and assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm.
He added that the bodies of two men who were allegedly killed were dumped near the railway line in the area on Monday.
A member of the community, who asked not to be named, confirmed that they were carrying weapons because they were looking for armed gangsters.
The residents, who asked not to be named, told Sowetan on Tuesday they had torched shacks of some of the suspected members of the notorius OVL gang and also killed two of them.
"Enough is enough. If it means we have to die, so be it. We have decided that we finish this gang," said one of the residents.
"People are mugged in their homes. These boys attack people as they enter their homes. They rob them of their money and cellphones. "They stab you if you do not have what they want," added the resident.
xabav@sowetan.co.za
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