Disorder ensued at a taxi rank in Mitchells Plain on Wednesday after a teenage boy was fatally stabbed. Allegedly, a taxi driver accused the boy of stealing a cell phone, leading to a confrontation that escalated into violence.
Also read: Samora Machel tragedy: Murder-suicide claims three lives
Nathaniel Daniels (15) was stabbed several times in the upper body after being suspected of stealing from a taxi he had been washing near the 7th Avenue taxi rank.
Charmaine Daniels, Nathaniel’s grandmother (58), stated that her grandson had a habit of taking items in Town Centre and had probably been noticed by the drivers for some time.
‘He was naughty as he took things, but according to his mother, his mind wasn’t like that on Wednesday.
‘They kept him under surveillance, that he is at the centre every day and he takes stuff,’ she said.
Daniels mentioned that they were informed about Nathaniel’s stabbing by one of his friends.
‘He started crying and he told us about it. I couldn’t go to the scene because I couldn’t handle seeing him lying there. I will remember him as my grandson,’ she said.
Images and videos depicting Nathaniel’s lifeless body circulated within crime-related WhatsApp groups shortly after the incident.
According to a source, Nathaniel remained alive for around 10 minutes following the stabbing, and the ambulance arrived approximately 45 minutes later.
‘The police said we must phone the ambulance, the child was laying like that for 10 minutes still alive,’ the source said.
A conflict between a group of people and certain drivers ensued, with the source alleging that the police allowed the suspect to escape.
A video shared on social media shows individuals running in various directions as police reportedly used rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse the crowd.
‘They started shooting at the community because after this they were angry. Police saw that the one guy had a knife,’ the source claimed.
According to police spokesperson Wesley Twigg, a murder case is under investigation.
‘Mitchells Plain police registered a murder case for investigation following a stabbing incident in 4th Avenue, Mitchell’s Plain, where a 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death,’ Twigg said.
‘Police members were called to the crime scene where they found the victim with a stab wound to his body. The victim was declared deceased on the scene by medical personnel.’
Twigg mentioned that no suspects have been apprehended yet, and the authorities are probing the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Expressing her sorrow, Daniels remarked, ‘All we’re seeking is justice for a 15-year-old boy who was taken away like this. He was just a child; we simply want justice.’
Also read:
Picture: JP Smith / Facebook