GANG TERRORISES BRONVILLE

The gang has vowed not to rest until they have killed at least 10 people

he MEC for police, roads and transport, Butana Komphela, has promised the community of Bronville, near Welkom, that the law enforcement agencies will act decisively on the rising mob violence that is pervading the area.

This follows a recent march by the community, where a memorandum for peace was handed over to Komphela and the executive mayor of the Matjhabeng Local Municipality, Sebenzile Ngangelizwe.

“Our children are being killed. We do not feel save in our own homes or our community and there is no place for us to seek help since even the police seem to be afraid of this situation,” complained the Bronville community members who took part in the march.

The Bronville community and the surrounding neighbourhoods, spent most of the festive season being terrorised by gangsters who have promised that they will not stop with their violent attacks until they have killed at least ten people the community.

Komphela and Ngangelizwe visited the community to help try finding a solution to the problem.

“The issue of the gruesome gang violence in Bronville is a reality and can certainly not be denied. It was shocking to hear stories and peruse statistics about the problem in the area. The problem is serious and people are living in fear.

“This is certainly the worst form of gang related violence we have encountered in the Free State and the department together with Municipality will make this our first priority in order to restore peace to the community,” said Komphela.

Many people have died and other seriously injured in the spate of gang violence and related incidents in the area in recent weeks. The community is still in shock after the prevailing gang violence claimed the life of Sheldon Swartz (33) in November 2012.

Another gang leader, Retshedisitwe Tumahole (32), was also shot; stabbed several times and set alight in his vehicle during the early hours of Christmas Day last year.
Police spokesperson, Constable Maselela Langa, said Tumahole was known as the “General” in the area.

“He was found at about 03:30 Christmas morning by police where he laid in the street with two gunshot wounds in the neck. He was pronounced dead by emergency workers at the scene.”

The rival gangs in Riemvasmaak, extension 15, Hani Park, Thabong and Bronville have declared their areas “no go zones” and have promised to attack any transgressors.

According to the police, most members of the group have been to prison where they have been sworn into allegiance to one another and have been branded with a tattoo marks. This means that they are subject to the gang’s rules and requirements for as long as they live.

“In addition to physical violence which has been fatal, these groups have been linked to house breaking, robbery and rape of women and children incidents in the area,” said police spokesperson, Captain Stephen Thakeng.

Thakeng said the rampant gang members wear balaclavas and cannot be identified by their victims. He assured the public that police will do everything possible to reduce gang violence in the area.

Swartz was stabbed to death in the back when the gang members attacked unsuspecting visitors at a club in Bronville. According to eyewitnesses, Swartz was sitting in the corner of the room when gangsters started threatening guests at the club.

Apparently Swartz and the group of men he was with at the club had tried to get all the women out of the building when the skirmish with the gang members began. He was then stabbed by one of the gang members and rushed to Bongani Hospital where he died from the inflicted wounds.

Roderique Barends (23), the second victim, was dropping his girlfriend off during the time of the shooting in Riemvasmaak, when a group of roughly 30 gang members approached the car and started breaking the windows.

They stabbed Barends repeatedly through the car windows and then set the car on fire. His girlfriend, Felicity Maree (20) dragged him out of the vehicle and called for help.

In what is presumably the latest incident of the ongoing gang violence, approximately 29 residents of Bronville were arrested on Saturday, during the burial of Tumahole when residents of Bronville tried to prevent him from being buried in the local graveyard.

“We believe that this man is responsible for all the gruesome attacks on our children and community. How can we allow him to ‘rest in peace’ after all the sleepless nights he has caused us and so many others,” said one community member, Caroline Swartz.

The police were called in to disperse the crowd and the members of the community have since threatened to exhume Tumahole’s body after the funeral.

Gang violence affects reporter’s family

The police woke us up on Christmas morning to say that we should come quickly my brother had been stabbed, they have called the ambulance but they don’t know if he’s going to make it.

He left home at around three in the morning to drop off his girlfriend who stays in Riemvasmaak, when the gang came out of nowhere and started breaking the windows of his car. They took the girlfriend out of the car where they beat her up outside and started stabbing him through the windows.

When they saw that he had lost consciousness, they started to set the car on fire, while he was still inside. Luckily, the girlfriend managed to open up the car and was able to carry him out of the vehicle and call for help.

He had lost a lot of blood when we got to the hospital and because of the severity of his injuries he had to be transferred to the Universitas hospital in Bloemfontein.

He was stabbed from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet. Both his hands were broken and the tendons and arteries of his left hand had been badly cut that they even considered amputating the hand. He’s skull was cracked and the doctors said that he was lucky to be alive. He is still in hospital.

The doctors were able to find away to stitch his left hand so that it would not be amputated and are still monitoring the condition of his brain. I nearly lost my brother to the senseless brutality of gangs.

I therefore appeal to the authorities to root out the evil that is gangesterism in our township of Bronville.

The gang culture is tearing our community apart. The gangs have taken over our streets. These marauding gangs shoot everyone on sight and have taken the law on their hands.

They behave like mini-gods and kill people with impunity. I am glad my brother has survived, but one death is one death too many. Enough is enough. The gang members must be arrested and locked in jail where they belong. – Natasha Barends