Just two days after a local university student was stabbed to death on Clifton 3rd Beach, another attack transpired on popular Camps Bay Beach. It is alleged that a fight broke out on the beach at approximately 6pm on Monday, September 30.
According to the South African Police Services (SAPS), one person was stabbed in the hand while another was assaulted with a brick during the scuffle. “An altercation between three youths aged 15 and 16 (from Bloekombos) occurred, a passer-by tried to intervene and was hit over the head with a brick. Camps Bay SAPS members in the vicinity arrested of a 18-year-old male on a charge of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH). The arrested suspect is due to appear in the Cape Town Magistrates Court soon on the mentioned charges,” Captain FC Van Wyk said in a statement.
“A young man was approached by a man who tried to steal his phone. The youth and his friends gave chase after the suspect and cornered him. He then stabbed one in order to get away. The second injury occurred a short while later when Law Enforcement and SAPS was on the scene,” Nicola Jowell, ward councillor, said in a Facebook post. “A passing motorist stopped and confronted the group of youths, I am unsure at this stage as to the exact nature of the confrontation. One of the youth threw a brick at this man and he was injured by this attack. This person was arrested by SAPS. The initial robbery/stabbing suspect has not yet been arrested.”
In a separate attack, Cebo Mheli Mbatha, who was 19 years old, succumbed to his injuries after he was stabbed during an attempted robbery at Clifton 3rd Beach on Saturday. He was with a friend who was also stabbed and injured during the incident.
“I share with everyone at UCT a sense of deep desolation that our students and South Africans in general, continue to be affected by violent crime and criminality in their daily lives,” UCT vice-chancellor Prof Mamokgethi said.
Mbatha was a first-year humanities student at the university.
“This is an attack on all of us at UCT, in Cape Town and in SA,” she said.
According to Mamokgethi, Mbatha and three other UCT students had been relaxing on the beach when they were approached by two assailants who allegedly attempted to rob them of their cellphones. He was stabbed in the chest, and died before he could be rushed to hospital.
“Two other students managed to escape without physical injury but were severely traumatised. All three surviving students experienced severe shock and trauma from this terrible ordeal,” Mamokgethi said.
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