Cape Town - Kraaifontein community leaders say they are worried that residents are unknowingly creating a bigger problem by resorting to mob justice as a means to rid their areas of suspected criminals.
This after two men were allegedly killed by a group of unknown suspects on Sunday morning in Phase 7, Wallacedene, in what police suspect to have been a vigilante justice attack.
Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said Kraaifontein police have opened a murder investigation following the discovery of the victims’ bodies in the area over the weekend.
“Police are investigating a case of murder that occurred in Wallacedene, Kraaifontein, over the weekend. Our reports show that officers were called to the scene of the incident, and upon arrival found the bodies of 19-year-old Siphokuhle Xalarkhe and 28-year-old Momelezi Hlatini.
The duo had sustained fatal injuries during an altercation with unknown suspects.
“The suspects fled from the scene, and the victims, aged 19 and 28, were declared deceased on the scene by medical personnel. The motive for the attack is possible mob justice, and no arrests have been made yet. The investigation continues,” said Swartbooi.
Kraaifontein Community Policing Forum chairperson Robert Bissette said that while the community’s high murder rate could not be completely attributed to vigilante justice attacks, crime as a whole was getting out of hand fast.
"Crime in Kraaifontein is getting out of hand, and the vigilante groups who are taking matters into their own hands are making things worse. However, that’s not the only problem. We are also battling with extortionists who are operating in various areas and parts of our community.
“All these issues and more are adding to our woes and to combat the high crime levels we need to need to stand together as a community and say enough is enough.
“As the people who live in these areas, we need to all do our part to fight crime and make our communities safer, be it that we join the neighbourhood watches and patrols, we need to help our police fight crime,” said Bissette.