Johannesburg - Mystery surrounds the object which allegedly sparked a bloody mob-justice incident in Protea South, Soweto, in which one person was killed and three were injured.
A mob of over 100 people attacked four men after a “grass cutter” was reportedly stolen from a woman’s yard in the early hours of last Wednesday.
But no one seems to be able to track down the owner of the grass cutter or provide details on whether it is an electric implement such as a lawnmower, or a tool such as garden shears.
The local community policing forum (CPF) even went as far as driving through the area early on Monday morning with a loudhailer to track down the owner.
“We went with a loudhailer asking whose grass cutter it is. No one came forward,” said CPF deputy chair Bafana Malakoane.
The CPF was starting to doubt whether the grass cutter existed or if it was a lie made up by residents vying for the blood of criminals who they claimed regularly terrorise them.
Last Wednesday, angry residents accused Thabiso Maduba of stealing a grass cutter from a woman who was hanging up her washing. The woman screamed, alerting neighbours.
What followed was a brutal assault - with sjamboks, knobkieries, metal sticks, bottles and stones - on Maduba and three others who residents believed were his accomplices.
Sibusiso Mhlambi later died from his injuries in the CPF’s makeshift office.
Malakoane described how enraged community members held Mhlambi’s arms up in the air while they viciously beat his abdomen. He said there was pressure on the CPF to help police identify the perpetrators.
“The problem for the CPF is that this guy died in our office, and now we’re held responsible. (The police) threatened to arrest us if we don’t identify the culprits. Now it’s as if it’s us who did that.”
They were using media footage to identify those involved.
Police spokesman Captain Mpande Khoza said CPF members would be arrested only if there were evidence linking them to the attack.
Police would take statements from Maduba and Vuyisile Maqana once they were released from hospital.
On Monday, Maduba and Maqana told The Star they recognised some of their attackers. But Maduba said he was too afraid to open a case.
“I want to open a case because the one guy died and these other guys were beaten for nothing, (but) I’m scared because I’ll become a target.”
The Star