- Six people have been arrested for the violent Christmas Day clash between two rival groups that left seven men dead in Mount Ayliff in the Eastern Cape.
- The suspects were arrested on 26 December soon after they were discharged from hospital.
- The arrested suspects were among 12 people injured during the clash between a group of Mpeni and Nokhatshile men.
Six people have been arrested for the violent Christmas Day clash between two rival groups that left seven men dead in Mount Ayliff in the Eastern Cape.
The incident took place at about 05:00 in the Mpeni locality.
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said the violence was believed to be taxi related.
The suspects were arrested on 26 December, soon after being discharged from hospital.
The suspects were among 12 people injured during the clash.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said 12 people were hospitalised following the clash and six of them were seriously injured.
"The six suspects were among 12 people who were taken hospital. They were arrested after being treated and discharged from hospital. Six other people are still in hospital and they are not suspects yet. They [the hospitalised] can't be ruled out as suspects yet, because they were part of the groups that were clashing. We can't rule out the possibility of more suspects being arrested," said Naidoo.
It's alleged that on 25 December, a group of Mpeni men clashed with a group from Nokhatshile, leaving seven dead, mostly from the latter group.
The fatal incident led to the activation of the police's 72-hour activation plan and the deployment of the army to the area.
Acting national police commissioner, Lieutenant General Sindile Mfazi, ordered for the immediate deployment of reinforcements to ensure a speedy stabilisation of the area which police described as tense.
Mfazi appealed to the community of Mount Ayliff and surrounding areas to exercise maximum restraint and assist police in their investigations.