The family of 34-year-old Jerome Pillay, who was allegedly taken by force by members of a community patrolling group are desperately searching for him.
Mr Pillay was last seen on Friday January 5.
According to the family member, who does not want to be named, Mr Pillay had been bound to a light pole and assaulted by two members of the group on Friday in Whetstone, Phoenix at about 9:30pm.
“We have been searching for him since then. Residents, who were too scared to get involved at the time, said they saw his limp body being loaded into a black vehicle and taken away from the area. We are fearing the worst. We have no idea what caused the group to react in this way against him. No one has the right to do this to anyone and take the law into their own hands,” said the relative.
Reaction Unit South Africa’s spokesman Prem Balram said they were helping the family to look for Mr Pillay.
“We do not have much information at this stage as many people are afraid to speak out against the community patrolling group, as the group assists the residents in their fight against crime. We are always advising the community patrolling groups to seek assistance from the security companies and the police when they come across incidents with people involved. All intervention must be done within the scope of the law,” said Mr Balram.
Anyone with information on Mr Pillay’s whereabouts is asked to contact Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) on 086 1234 333.
