Home

‘Even a South African would have run away’ Community leader on Elvis Nyathi’s killing in Diepsloot

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Action SA Coordinator in Diepsloot and one of the community leaders, Armstrong Nombaba, has lambasted what he terms criminal elements that hijacked the protests in Diepsloot and killed Elvis Nyathi. 

It is believed earlier this week, members of the community arrived at Nyathi’s house and demanded his identity documents. There are different reports with one being that he ran away and was chased down by angry panga-wielding community members who beat him up and set him alight after catching him. 

Speaking outside the local Youth Centre hall where Police Minister Bheki Cele, Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, Gauteng Premier David Makhura among other officials are locked up in a stakeholder meeting with some community members and councillors, Nombaba has described Nyathi’s murder as “anti-human”. 

He says those responsible must face the law. 

“If the councillors are going to convene a meeting and then someone died in that manner, we feel someone should suffer the consequences. Because the person that was killed, the information that we got, the people who were protesting, having pangas and whatever, even if you were South African you were going to run away. The manner in which they were doing (sic) you were going to run away. They find people sitting on the street sitting, I don’t know what they were doing, they ran away. When they ran away one person was caught. This is the information that I got, I was not there and that person was burnt. I have got a video here,” says Nombaba. 

Nombaba has questioned the role of the police and those who attended an earlier meeting before Nyathi was killed. 

He has also criticised the meeting currently underway with Cabinet members and the SAPS leadership saying it was not fully representative. 

“I was in there and David Makhura kicked me out. It is not right. They are only speaking to their ANC people in there.” 

Video: Police arrest people alleged to be in SA illegally ahead of Cele, Motsoaledi visit

Author

MOST READ