Mob justice on the rise in Limpopo due to slow police response

Residents chased after suspects who fled in their getaway car and burned them to death in a mob justice attack for robbing a young woman.

Sep 5, 2022 - 00:48
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Mob justice on the rise in Limpopo due to slow police response

The Police Ministry urges communities in the country to put an end to mob justice and taking the law into their hands. This is despite communities complaining about crime in their areas and allegations of police corruption.

INCREASE IN MOB JUSTICE IN LIMPOPO

There has been an increase of mob justice incidents in Limpopo, particularly in the Sekhukhune policing district. Four people have lost their lives due to these attacks in recent weeks.

Police Minister Bheki Cele and South African Police Service Management led a crime prevention Imbizo in Limpopo on Friday. Residents from villages in and around the Sekhukhune District attended, Police Ministry spokesperson Lirandzu Themba said.

“During this community engagement, residents of the rural communities tabled their crime concerns, relating to amongst other things; allegations of police corruption and slow response by the local police to their safety needs.”

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COMMUNITIES HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE THE LAW INTO THEIR OWN HANDS

mob justice
The Imbizo provides a platform for the community to raise concerns about crime and to address challenges of crime related to rural safety as well as mob justice. PHOTO: Twitter/@SAPoliceService

Just this past Friday, two alleged cellphone thieves were killed in a mob justice attack. The two had allegedly stolen a cellphone and were attacked near a mall.

In another incident last month, two suspected robbers in the Siloam policing area outside Thohoyandou were brutally killed.

The two men were stoned to death in an apparent mob justice attack. Their bodies were burnt allegedly by residents of the Tshavhalavhodzi village, Themba said.

“According to police reports, three suspects allegedly robbed a 23-year-old woman of her cellphone and other belongings at the local plaza. They then attempted to kidnap her in full view of the bystanders. But they left her and drove off after she screamed for help.”

Lirandzu Themba

Residents chased after the men in their getaway vehicle and eventually caught up with the robbers. Two of the suspects were killed during the mob justice. The third suspect was rescued by the police and was arrested, said Themba.

“The suspects’ motor vehicle was also torched during the incident,” she said.

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RESIDENTS ANGERED BY SLOW RESPONSE FROM THE POLICE

During the Ministerial Crime Prevention Imbizo, hosted in Jane Furse, residents attributed mob justice to criminals not facing the full might of the law.

At times, the slow response times from the police were also a contributing factor, said Themba.

Addressing the Imbizo, Cele strongly condemned and discouraged these violent and criminal mob attacks.

“We accept that policing service delivery can and should be improved but at no point can taking matters into your own hands as residents, be condoned or accepted as a normal practice in any society. There simply is no justice in the so-called ‘mob justice’. It is criminal acts that will be harshly dealt with.”