Innocent until proven guilty has never held more weight than it does now. Abongile Mafalala was the victim of the gruesome mob justice attack that took place on 31 May. He was beaten, his belongings stolen and set alight next to his Toyota Avanza after the e0hailing driver accepted a from two men in the suburb of Parkwood, Grassy Park.
Residents have since come together by raising funds for the funeral of the murdered e-hailing driver.
Last week, social media was flooded with videos of the attack. It was believed he was in the area to kidnap children, but police have since indicated that there had been no reports of kidnapping on that fateful day or in the past few days.
Speaking to News24, a Grassy Park activist and community member has confirmed that R3500 has been raised for Mafalala’s family, who have been left devasted.
The residents are hoping to raise R10 000 ahead of the funeral.
“We have failed this young man. What we have done to him is beyond reproach and our actions in this case, have left dire consequences for us all. This community is made up of wonderful people, but the incident that recently occurred has left a bad name for us now,” said Ward 65 councillor Donovan Nelson.
Six people have been arrested for his murder with more being called in for questioning according to police. Bolt, the e-hailing service that Mafalala drove for, is said to have launched its own investigation in order to assist police, reports IOL.
Tons of e-hailing service drivers gathered outside Mafalala’s home in Dunoon to pay their respects.
Also read:
Parkwood ‘mob justice’ victim identified and suspected as innocent
Picture: Facebook