Durban - Vigilante justice took a deadly turn on Monday night when two 25-year-old men were beaten and then burned to death by a mob of about 200 angry residents at the Bob Mattison informal settlement in Pietermaritzburg.
One of the victims has been identified as Nathi Gwala, while the other is only known within the community as “Rasta”.
The Daily News established that the community suspected the men of committing thefts and robberies in the area after allegedly finding stolen items in Gwala’s shack.
Residents in the informal settlement did not want to speak to the media on the record for fear of being arrested, but agreed to be quoted anonymously.
One of the residents said that Gwala had long been a “problem”, allegedly having committed sexual assaults and thefts before. The source said he had been “warned on many occasions to behave himself”.
However, the last straw came on Monday night, when community members found a number of stolen items in Gwala’s shack and the shack of his neighbour.
About 200 angry residents cornered Gwala, Rasta and two of their neighbours, and assaulted them with sticks, pipes and knives.
Their shacks were then set alight and Gwala and Rasta were burned to death.
ER24 spokesman Russell Meiring said that when paramedics arrived on the scene, they found the remains of one of the men lying in the the road. The remains of the second victim were found about 100 metres away in a field.
He said bodies had multiple fractures as well as stab wounds.
The police’s Captain Thulani Zwane confirmed that two counts of murder and two counts of arson have been opened for investigation.
One suspect was arrested for the murders, while another two suspects (Gwala’s neighbours) were arrested in connection with the house robberies committed in the area.
Investigations are continuing.
Zwane urged communities not to take the law into their own hands.
Daily News