Cases of mob justice are on the rise and most are carried across Ehlanzeni in the Nkomazi area.
The mob assaulted and brutally stoned to death an 18-year-old male yesterday, Monday, November 6 at Mjejane. On Sunday, November 5, after allegations of criminality, the mob assaulted and burnt alive two males at Block C near Tonga.
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The police have appealed to members of the public not to take the law into their own hands. They urge going with the police through legitimate structures such as the Community Police Forum (CPF) and Community In Blue.
“Regular meetings regarding crime should be held at various policing precincts. However, it concerns to learn that most of such gatherings receive poor attendance. Some members of the community do not even consider opening cases when crime has been committed. They rather resort to direct violence towards those they believe to have been the perpetrators of crime,” said the police.
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The SAPS Provincial Commissioner in Mpumalanga urges communities not to resort to mob justice. “Acts of mob justice can never be used to resolve crime, but it will instead create anarchy which undermines the authority of the state. We urge people to work with the authorities in rooting out crime. Witnessing in court whenever crime is committed is a crucial part of evidence that can be used by the courts to prosecute perpetrators in order to get maximum sentences,” she says.
