Community leader arrested for Pretoria east informal settlement murder
A 26-year-old man succumbed to his injuries after what police suspect to have been mob justice assault.
A 44-year-old community leader will appear in court on Wednesday for a recent suspected mob justice murder in a Pretoria east informal settlement.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Yeroboam Mbatsane said the community leader was arrested on Monday for the murder of a 26-year-old man in Skierlik informal settlement.
The 26-year-old man succumbed to his injuries after what police suspect to have been a mob justice assault.
“It is alleged that a woman and her child were sleeping in her shack when she woke up and found an intruder inside her home. The woman says that the intruder tried to cover her mouth but she was able to scream for help and the suspect ran away,” Mbatsane said.
“The community heard the frantic screams of the woman and a manhunt was launched for the intruder.”
He said an eyewitness said the community members followed footprints from the woman’s house to a shack wherein the 26-year-old was found sleeping.
“The man’s shoes were taken to check against the ones [prints] found outside the woman’s home. He was dragged to the street, assaulted and succumbed to his injuries.”
Mbatsane said although the 26-year-old’s death is believed to be due to mob justice, a witness pointed to the community leader and a second suspect as being behind the murder.
“We are investigating the case and we cannot rule out the possibility of arresting more suspects because the information we have is that this was mob justice,” he said.
The community leader was arrested in his home and will appear in the Cullinan magistrate’s court on Wednesday for a formal bail hearing. The 44-year-old is charged of murder and housebreaking, he said.
Photo: Supplied
Mbatsane said the second suspect was on the run.
“The housebreaking charge is because they forced entry inside the man’s house before he was assaulted and killed,” Mbatsane said.
“We warn people not to take the law into their own hands, it is wrong.
“If they suspect someone, they must let the police do their own investigation because sometimes the people caught are innocent. Even if it is also the actual suspect they are not supposed to take the law into their own hands but let the courts handle prosecution.”
Police urged anyone who might have information on the murder case to contact the Boschkop police on 012 802 4049.
Last week, SAPS released crime statistics for April-June 2022, which show that murders decreased by 55.6% in the Boschkop police precinct.
The station recorded four murders compared to nine in the corresponding period last year.
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