Gauteng police are on high alert at Eldorado Park south of Johannesburg to quell any unrest that may arise.
On Thursday, residents went on the rampage and damaged the local police station following the death of 16-year-old Nathaniel Julies.
The 16-year-old who has down syndrome was allegedly shot by the police.
He died in hospital.
Three police officers were injured and several residents arrested.
Gauteng police spokesperson Mathapelo Peters says officers were able to contain the situation overnight.
“Members remain on high alert and will continue to monitor the area to ensure stability. Ten suspects, including two minors who had earlier in the day, [have] been released into the custody of their parents, will appear before the Kliptown Magistrate Court on 01 September 2020 on charges of public violence. One suspect remains in police custody based on previous cases, while the rest were released on bail,” says Peters.
Meanwhile, community members are expected to take to the streets again.
Chairperson of the Community Policing Forum (CPF) in the area, Dominic Rodriguez, says they will try to calm the violence by appealing to the community to hold a candlelight vigil to honour Nathaniel’s life.
“This morning we are going to try and see if we can calm down the situation. Yesterday with the city council members and the local councillors, we tried to engage with them and speak to them and let them know we are dealing with it.”
“You know we engage with the senior management of the police station on a daily basis and for me to say that they are not willing to help is a lie. They have tried to resolve issues. We have called for people to come through with candles as opposed to rocks and shamboks. So we hope everything pans out better than it did yesterday,” says Rodriguez.
