Mob justice, ritual killings worry Police

Police have again expressed concern about incidents of mob justice and ritual killings reported across the province on a regular basis.
Incidents of mob justice have become a worrying factor for Police, according to Provincial Police Corporate Communications Head, Motlafela Mojapelo.
He added that Provincial Police Commissioner Nneke Ledwaba has once again called upon all communities to isolate individuals who seem to be hell bent on destroying the moral fibre of society.
In a recent incident the mutilated body of 16-year-old Rithandzu Manganyi was found next to the Shingwedzi River outside Malamulele on Friday. She was reported missing on 2 July at about 13:00. Her body was found by young boys who went fishing in the river. The motive for the murder is unknown but ritual killing cannot be ruled out, Mojapelo informed.
Also on Friday Police managed to disperse a protesting crowd blocking the road at Ga-Mothiba wa Ngwanamago outside Lebowakgo­mo. The protest followed the disappearance of Sara Khomotso Madisa (30) who reportedly went missing the previous day. “Community members were apparently angered by the prevalence of similar incidents in the area. Two people had gone missing previously on separate occasions and were later found killed and their bodies burnt. Police succeeded in arresting the suspects,” Mojapelo said.
He appealed to communities to allow the Police to conduct thorough investigations and render their assistance rather than burning tyres. The missing woman was found and reunited with her family on the weekend.
Meanwhile, members of the Police’s Search and Rescue Unit retrieved the body of Sakie Kotela (41) from a river at Ntwane village in Dennilton after he was allegedly attacked, assaulted and thrown into the river by a mob.
Mojapelo indicated that Kotela was reportedly accused of theft. A mob if nearly 500 assaulted him before throwing him into the river.
Asked whether he was able to indicate how many victims of mob justice could actually be proven guilty Mojapelo said it was difficult to determine. “In South Africa a person is innocent until proven guilty in court. Victims of mob justice are never given an opportunity to go through the processes so it would be impossible to say how many are actually guilty.”

Story: RC Myburgh
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