SAHRC told some arrested during Phoenix unrest were innocent
A Phoenix resident believes some of the people arrested in connection with the killings in the area during the civil unrest had nothing to do with the murders.
Sham Maharaj, who is a member of the Phoenix Ubuntu Forum, testified on Tuesday at the South African Human Rights Commission's hearings into the riots in July.
In Phoenix, north of Durban, 36 people lost their lives in alleged vigilante attacks thought to have been racially motivated.
Over 50 suspects were arrested in connection with the killings.
However, Maharaj says some of them had no involvement in the crimes.
"In the rush to get people arrested so they can show people have been arrested, many people who had been innocent had been also arrested in a rush.
"I am not saying everybody is innocent. Those people who are guilty must be prosecuted and they must be sent to jail for what they have done."
Maharaj told the hearings that social media made things worse and caused unnecessary panic among the community during that time.
Maharaj said on the first day of looting, residents in his neighbourhood stood outside on the road and watched as looters ran amok at a nearby shopping centre.
"Everybody really panicked because messages which got put out and you'll read it that your street, your house is next. So what options do you have but to stand out and make sure nobody comes to do anything funny."
He said the community was disappointed at the lack of intervention from the police.
"What exacerbated the situation is the total lack of assistance by the South African Police Services. They were outnumbered by thousands to one and they were absolutely no help. The evident is there, it's not my story. Police were standing aside while looting happened."
The hearings continue.
