RESIDENTS heard several shots in the evening.
What happened
The suspects, who are said to have been terrorising local residents, were allegedly in the process of robbing a house in Diepsloot on Friday night, 1 December. During the search for the suspects, seven men were burnt to death and their bodies were found on Saturday morning, 2 December.
Among the dead men was Brave MaSeven, who is believed to be the ringleader.
MaSeven's family deny allegations
But his family said Brave MaSeven, whose real name is Katlego Mphuti, died for the sins of others.
His sister said: "We don't deny that Katlego used drugs, but to say he was involved in crime is untrue. These people targeted my brother, but they had nothing to nail him with. They used this incident to get rid of him."
Katlego's aunt said the deceased's mother, Sibongile Mphuti, had slept all day today after crying for her son. She could not speak to the media.
"She has been crying a lot and cannot speak," said her aunt.
MaSeven's body identified
Katlego's gogo said: "We were called in the morning to identify him. Among the victims, he was the only one who could be identified, others were burnt beyond recognition."
Residents speaks
Residents, however, claimed that Katlego was not a case of mistaken identity.
"He was the ringleader of the people terrorising the residents," said one resident.
Police take action
Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo of the Gauteng police confirmed the incident.
"Police were called to the scene and found burnt bodies. The motive for the murders cannot be confirmed at this stage.
"As Gauteng police, we strongly condemn vigilantist acts and the fact that the community is taking the law into their own hands as this is a serious criminal offence,” said Masondo.
He said police were investigating murder cases.
