Cape Town – Police in the Western Cape have cautioned residents of Hermanus against taking the law into their own hands after threats were made towards approximately 600 foreigners who and were made to “feel unsafe” in their homes on Thursday.
The threats followed the discovery of an unidentified woman’s body on Still Street.
A man has been taken in for questioning in connection with the incident, News24 reported.
In response to news of the man’s arrest, residents began threatening individuals from the Zwelihle area.
Some residents forcefully entered the man’s home, vandalised his property, and set it on fire. As a result, many non-South African residents requested to be relocated to a safe place until calm was restored.
“Threats were made to many of the non-South Africans who then felt afraid and asked officials to move them to a safe place until calmness is restored in the area,” the report quoted chairperson of the community policing forum(CPF) Eddie Holloway as saying.
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He said residents were told that the man arrested was a foreigner.
Meanwhile, according to IOL, the unknown girl, estimated to be about 14 years old, was found on Tuesday morning. Her body was discovered in a plastic bag by a passer-by going to work in Zwelihle.
“The girl was mutilated and we suspect that she was raped because she was naked when she was found and that was done by a foreigner, a Malawian.
“What makes residents angry is that the person taken in for questioning was at the scene and he asked if there were cameras around and later he was taken in by the police,” the report quoted one resident as saying.
Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said Hermanus SAPS registered a murder case for investigation after the body of an unknown female believed to be in her twenties was found in Still Street.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident are the subject of a police investigation. We can confirm that an adult male was taken in for questioning. The investigation continues,” Twigg as said, as per the report.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
