Cele calls for calm in Eldorado Park as angry residents demand release of arrested leader

• Police Minister Bheki Cele visited the family of slain teenager Nateniël Julies in Eldorado Park. 
• He said an IPID investigation was under way into allegations that Julies was killed by police.
• Angry residents demanded justice for the teen and called for one of their arrested leaders to be released.

Angry residents of Eldorado Park called for one of their leaders to be released from police custody following unrest in the area after the death of a 16-year-old boy. 

On Friday, Police Minister Bheki Cele visited the area amid fury over the fatal shooting of Nateniël Bradley Julies.

The teenager was shot and killed, allegedly by Eldorado Park police, on Wednesday night. 

Joined by Community Safety MEC Faith Mazibuko and officials from the SA Human Rights Commission, Cele sat with Julies' family to convey his condolences and get details surrounding the boy's death. 

When Cele arrived at the home, the teenager's parents were out making arrangements for their child's burial.

His mother later arrived and sat with the minister. 

ALSO READ | Eldorado Park residents protest, vent anger at police after boy is killed

Community members came out in numbers with placards, singing and chanting "we want justice" and "coloured lives matter", as Cele engaged with the family.

They alleged that cops in the area were known for terrorising the community. 

Addressing the crowd following a meeting with the family, Cele called for calm and said the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) would investigate what had happened.

Cele said once investigations were complete, feedback would be given to the community. 

"We hope they will find what happened and then we will be able to report to the community, but we won't spare anybody. Whoever has committed the crime will have to face the law, it doesn't matter who that person is," Cele said.

He said the head of IPID would also visit the family to avoid the police interfering with the case. 

The minister has called on those with information on the case to bring it to IPID.

Cele said no member of the police has been suspended, but the IPID investigation would inform the action against anyone found guilty of wrongdoing. 

But the community said if the police wanted calm, then their leader, Majiet Amien, arrested for "inciting violence", had to be released. 

Cele said authorities were engaging with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) with regard to Amien.

Amien's uncle, Adam Adams, who was present in the crowd, told News24 that Amien had been called in for a "meeting" by the police. When he arrived at the station, he was arrested. 

"They stopped his bakkie outside the police station, they took him out of the bakkie, and locked him up. They say a public prosecutor made a case against him. Majiet is a community worker. 

"As far as I know, he tried to stop the community members from throwing stones at police," the uncle said. 

Community member Sophalene Fernandez added: "Majiet is disabled, how can he be accused of public violence? He is disabled, so how can you lock up a disabled person because he's our leader? It is not fair." 

Fernandez said the community would not stop protesting until Amien was released.