Tzaneen - Police in Limpopo have warned against vigilantism after a suspected ATM card scammer was attacked and killed at Lorraine Village shopping centre near Tzaneen.
The alleged ATM card scammer who was said to have been terrorising the community, which prompted a violent response when residents caught him.
Police spokesman Moatshe Ngoepe said the suspect, identified as Ndofaya Sipho Mhlongo, was caught while allegedly trying to con a bank user who was at the local shopping complex.
The mob beat him to death. Police found his lifeless body at the shopping complex, said Ngoepe.
Ngoepe said: “Community members, who were queuing to take money at that ATM, allegedly noticed his fraudulent activities and they jointly caught him and severely beat him to death with various objects, including stones.”
The attack prompted police to issue a warning against community members not to take the law into their own hands.
The police warned the community against attacking suspects and to instead inform the police about any criminal incidents.
Ngoepe said those involved in mob justice would be prosecuted.
He added that the public should co-operate with the police to ensure suspects were arrested and appeared in court
Ngoepe said police were continuing with investigations into the vigilantism incident.
“There are no arrests at this stage, but the involved suspects from the group of community members are still being identified and the arrests will follow soon,” he said.
Recently police were criticised by members of community who complained about the increase of crime. They said they were losing hope in police handling their cases.
It was the third incident of vigilantism in Limpopo to occur within two weeks, after two suspects were killed in Polokwane when community members caught them after a house robbery.
ANA