Residents of the Covid Town informal settlement in Wallacedene say they are living in fear after two “well-known skelms” were beaten and stoned to death on Monday night.
A 40-year-old resident says everyone is suspicious of one another and they fear an innocent person might be harmed simply because of false accusations.
“There are tsotsis who steal from people here but they are making life difficult for everyone because the victims can suspect anyone of us of being the skelms.
“On Monday after 7pm, they caught two skelms and killed them. It was so shocking.
“There was an adult man of about 40 operating with a laaitie of about 20. They were caught in the camp with the stolen stuff in their possession, you see, but we don’t know what they stole, the fearful residents says.
“You can’t talk to anyone about these things here because then you are the next target.”
He says the two men who were killed are both coloured who allegedly stole from black residents.
“Here you always have to look after your things, we are living in fear because almost every night you hear people running past your hokkie.
“When the police arrived, the men were already dead and no one pointed out the killers.”
Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut confirms: “(On Monday) at around 7.20pm two adult males were beaten to death in Botfontein Road, Wallacedene, Kraaifontein by unknown suspects who are yet to be arrested.
“The circumstances are being investigated.”