Ekurhuleni – A man has met a gruesome end in the Crossroads informal settlement in Katlehong North, allegedly killed and his shack set ablaze after being accused of stealing puppies. The charred remains of the man were discovered on Wednesday, 20 August, amongst the debris of his burnt down shack.
"He was accused of stealing two puppies, then killed like a dog," a resident chillingly recounted, highlighting the brutality of the incident.
The victim, whose identity is being withheld by authorities, was reportedly 35 years old. His sneakers were found scattered a few metres from the shack, and a blood stain marked some of the nearby sticks, painting a grim picture of the events leading to his death.
Community members, speaking to Kathorus Mail, revealed that the man had been accused of stealing puppies days before his demise. One anonymous source explained, "A man came here, accusing the deceased of stealing his puppies. Thereafter, they assaulted him as a group, and while he was injured, they loaded him on a bakkie. That was the last time I saw him, up until he was discovered under the rubble of his burnt shack."
Another resident corroborated this account, stating that the incident occurred on Monday, 18 August, when "a man, who is believed to be the owner of the puppies, came with a group of men and accused the victim of stealing his dogs."
According to this resident, the victim "vehemently denied it in front of us, but the men didn't believe him. They allegedly assaulted him and threw him in the bakkie and drove away."
The community members expressed disbelief and outrage at the events. A visibly shaken woman questioned, "The victim was allegedly assaulted after he was accused of stealing two puppies. Why didn't they report him to the police instead of killing him in this manner?"
Another resident emphasised that the deceased was not known to be a troublemaker, saying, "The deceased was a good person who didn’t cause any chaos in the community. He didn’t have a reputation for stealing, and he didn’t deserve to die in this manner."
Adding to the mystery surrounding the case, residents claimed they did not witness the shack being engulfed by flames. One resident stated, "As community members, we don’t know what caused the fire that engulfed the shack of the deceased. We never noticed the shack being engulfed by the raging flames. We were all surprised to see his charred body discovered in the debris."
Another resident suggested a possible motive beyond the puppy theft, saying, "He was assaulted with sticks, and a blood stain is still there near his shack. We suspect there was a beef between the victim and the man who claimed his puppies were taken by the victim."
He further speculated that the man may have already been deceased when his shack was set alight. "I suspect the victim died while he was allegedly assaulted, and to cover their tracks, perpetrators brought him back to his shack in the early hours of Wednesday morning. I suspect the victim was set alight inside the shack to hide evidence," he said.
The City of Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) spokesperson, William Ntladi, provided details of the emergency response. "DEMS firefighters from Thokoza fire station swiftly responded to the scene at exactly 10:15. The firefighters responded with a water tanker fire-engine, and upon arrival, the shack was found extinguished and dismantled," Ntladi shared.
He confirmed the discovery of the body, stating, "A charred body of an adult male was found under the burnt corrugated sheets at a Katlehong North informal settlement."
Ntladi added, "The identity of the 35-year-old is being withheld for security and safety reasons. As per information received on the scene, the incident happened during the night, and the firefighters were only notified about this in the morning. It’s alleged to be a mob justice incident."
"The Katlehong North police were called to the scene, and the scene was handed over to them after the man was declared dead by paramedics. Forensic pathology services officials were also called to the scene to take the body to an appropriate pathological facility," Ntladi stated.
Ekurhuleni police spokeswoman Captain Neldah Sekgobela confirmed that an inquest docket has been opened and investigations are underway. "There are ongoing investigations," said Sekgobela.
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