Zimbabwean national Elvis Nyathi fell victim to the mob. His widow, Nomsa’s life was spared after she showed them her passport, but Nyathi was allegedly dragged out of his house, beaten, stoned and set alight in the next street.

undreds of Diepsloot, Gauteng, residents took to the streets on Wednesday, 6 April in a protest ignited by the murders of several people over the weekend, high crime rates and ineffective policing. 

Police Minister Bheki Cele arrived in Diepsloot on Wednesday afternoon where he addressed the angry community. He announced the deployment of additional SAPS vehicles and members from the Tactical Response Team (TRT) and Public Order Policing as well as a team of detectives to deal with outstanding and cold cases. 

Residents said his promises would again prove to be empty. They were later dispersed with rubber bullets and stun grenades. 

It is alleged that after dark on Wednesday, a mob went around Section 1 knocking on doors and demanding to see the passports of suspected illegal immigrants.Zimbabwean national Elvis Nyathi fell victim to the mob. His widow, Nomsa’s life was spared after she showed them her passport, but Nyathi was allegedly dragged out of his house, beaten, stoned and set alight in the next street. 

A resident who lives metres from where Nyathi’s body was found, said: “I heard a lot of noise but I did not come out, because there were dangerous people. I heard people making a noise and fighting. When the police came they ran away.” 

Nyathi’s brother Godknows said Nyathi, a father of four, “was not a criminal, he was working for his kids. They just killed him for no reason. He was a good man.

“I don’t feel safe here in Diepsloot. I don’t know what might happen to us now. 

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