Pretoria - Ekurhuleni Mayor Mondli Gungubele has condemned the gang violence that claimed the lives of three young men in the Etwatwa area, near Daveyton, at the weekend.
Police have confirmed that three teenage boys were burnt to death since Sunday and three houses set alight in apparent gang-related violence.
In the first incident at the weekend, members of the ‘OVL’ gang killed one teenager by placing a tyre over his body and setting it alight.
Another two boys belonging to the same gang were killed the same way.
Reports indicate that the violence was started by Etwatwa residents who claim the gang has been terrorising the community.
"We strongly condemn these acts of gangsterism. Violence is never an answer to any problem, especially gang-related violence which is a cancer that eats into the community claiming many lives in the process," Mayor Gungubele said on Wednesday.
Although the community is commended for taking a stance against gangsterism, Mayor Gungubele said it is regrettable that some have actually gone further to take the law into their own hands and resort to mob justice which is a crime on its own.
“We encourage our communities to have faith in the security agencies of the country and play their part by supplying intelligence to the police so that they can effect arrests and let them face the full might of the law."
The situation is still tense and schools have been disrupted because children are too scared to go to school for fear of being victimized and attacked by gangs.
“This cannot be allowed at this crucial time of the academic year. The future of our communities relies on the education of these youngsters," Mayor Gungubele said.
He called on the police, metro police, leaders of civil society and the community at large to work closely in dealing with “all acts of lawlessness and violence the area".
The mayor has also called on community leaders and the community at large to assist the law enforcement agencies in doing their work. - SAnews.gov.za
