buckridge police have appealed for information to arrest the suspects who necklaced a man to death at Ga-Relane Trust on Wednesday, August 5.

According to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo, the man, who has not yet been identified, was assaulted by members of the community who placed a tyre on his neck and set it on fire.

SAPS warns against vigilantism

“The SAPS condemns vigilantism in the strongest possible terms. Taking the law into one’s own hands is unlawful, inhumane and undermines the criminal justice system. Communities are urged to report crime and allow the police to do their work. If the community apprehends a person who is suspected to have committed a crime, they should call the police or take that person to the nearest police station,” said Masondo.

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He said anyone with information that could assist with the investigation is urged to call Crime Stop on 08600 10111, adding that information could also be given anonymously via the MySAPS App.

Masondo confirmed that the community accused the deceased of having committed certain crimes in the area, but could not immediately reveal what the crimes were, saying investigations were ongoing.

Meanwhile, a community member who opted to remain anonymous detailed the allegations against the deceased.

“This man and his partners in crime shot and killed a young woman after robbing her of a wallet, as well as a cellphone. The members of the community hunted the suspects down and cornered them. Two others, however, managed to escape while one was captured, assaulted and necklaced,” said the community member.

A second community member said the deceased was one of the criminals who broke into people’s houses at night, raped women and stole valuables, including food.

“The criminals have terrorised the community for a long time. They would even tie members of a family after breaking into their house, cook food, assault the victims and rape the female victims. We are living in fear in this area,” said the second community member.