Community leader calls for calm in Mitchells Plain after teen pranked into drinking acid

CAPE TOWN - A Woodlands community leader has called for calm in Mitchells Plain after a teenager was allegedly pranked into drinking acid at a butchery in the area.

Police are investigating a case of attempted murder after the 17-year-old boy was allegedly tricked into drinking drain acid at Mitchells Butchery in Woodlands.

The teenager is in a stable condition in the hospital after being treated in an intensive care unit.

READ: Mitchells Plain teen allegedly pranked into drinking acid

Woodlands community leader Shahiem van Nelson said that the 17-year-old boy who drank the drain acid was a casual worker at the butchery.

Van Nelson said the teenager suffered damage to his stomach and oesophagus as a result of drinking the acid.

He said that an angry mob of residents wanted to torch the butchery after the incident on Sunday.

"People wanted to burn this place down, and the community stood together and said: 'You know the building did nothing, absolutely nothing to nobody. It's part of our community and we need to look after our community assets.'"

The owners of the butchery have elected not to comment while the police investigation is underway.