Delft residents set police van alight after girl is struck in tragic incident
Alliance of Citizens for Change president Masizole Mnqasela speaking to the community.
Image: supplied
Delft South residents torched a police van after it rammed into a young girl who was playing with two others next to a wendy house on Saturday evening.
Residents turned on the cops, who fled for their lives, before angry residents torched their official vehicle in Wingnut Street.
Namhla Nondala, 11, was taken to Tygerberg mortuary following the incident, which is now being investigated by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).
IPID spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said according to reports, it is alleged that when the incident occurred at 6.30pm, three police officers who are stationed at Delft SAPS, were driving a marked police vehicle and were on route to attend to a complaint of a murder in progress.
Namhla Nondala, 11.
Image: Supplied
Shuping said: “When the members were driving down Sandlehout street, a taxi allegedly came in the opposite direction, towards the police vehicle.
“The driver of the police vehicle allegedly swerved out of the way of the taxi and drove into a wendy house in the same street, and into three children who were playing next to the wendy house.”
Two girls aged 10 were both transported to a nearby hospital, however, Nondala died at the scene.
Shuping added: “The community allegedly attacked the police members and set alight the police bakkie.
“IPID took control of the crime scene after the situation was normalised and the community calmed down.”
IPID is investigating a case of culpable homicide and reckless and negligent driving.
The Alliance of Citizens for Change party marched to the police station the following day and president Masizole Mnqasela visited the family before the march.
Mnqasela said that Nondala’s family is distraught.
The driver of the police vehicle allegedly swerved out of the way of the taxi and drove into a wendy house.
Image: Leon Knipe
He said: “They will never hold her again, they will never hug her again, they will never tell her how much they love her again.
Mnqasela said one of the girls was discharged from hospital after sustaining a broken limb, while the other is still on life support.
Mnqasela condemned the retaliation by the community, but added that they planned on taking legal action against the State on behalf of the three girls' families.
Western Cape Provincial MEC of Police Oversight and Community Safety Anroux Marais has extended her sincerest condolences to the family.
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