Whistles pierce the atmosphere as individuals donning orange and yellow hi-vis vests begin to sprint.
Someone yells, “Oh God,” while a policeman is hunched down on the ground. Someone shot him.
In Diepsloot, a township outside of Johannesburg, the commercial center of South Africa, it is Friday night.
This happens frequently, according to Abel Rapelego. Every night after dark, a group of volunteers under the 41-year-old’s leadership patrol the streets.
The sirens of a police car scatter the gathered crowd.
“Get out of the way, patrolmen!” Mr. Rapelego yells at his group. “Let the police have the time they need to do their jobs,”
Tom Mashele, the 38-year-old police officer, was hospitalized but passed away a few weeks later. Since his killing—which took place while he was not on duty—no one has been taken into custody.
