Mob sets man on fire for petty crime

A 35-year-old man has died after residents of the Soul City informal settlement in Kagiso, on the West Rand, set him alight.

Kagiso police received a complaint about community members assaulting an unknown man in the area on Saturday, Krugersdorp News reported.

They rushed to the scene and found community members standing in groups around the motionless body of a man.

Community members then told police the man was caught inside the container the community used as a tuck shop.

They believed he was stealing and allegedly assaulted him with a variety of weapons.

They broke both his legs, and he sustained open wounds to his head as well.

The community then took their mob justice to the next level by throwing paraffin over him and setting him on fire. He was in a critical condition when police arrived and was rushed to hospital.

He died on his way to hospital. No arrests were made, but police have launched an investigation into the matter.

Kagiso police spokesperson Brigadier Sipho Ngubane said people are still defying their call to not take the law into their own hands.

“Whoever is involved in this inhuman act will face the might of the law,” said Ngubane.

“We are now searching for murder suspects and they will be charged as such.”

Police are appealing to members of the public who know or might have seen the perpetrators to call the Kagiso Police on 011 696 9059/ 9065/ 9068 or alternatively to call Crime Stop on 08600 10111, or send an anonymous SMS to 32111.

– Caxton News Service

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