Cape Town - The Parkwood mob justice attack which took place earlier this week and led to the death of an innocent man has seen police from Grassy Park take in a number of suspects.
This comes after residents in the area alleged that the victim, who was driving a Toyota Avanza, had tried to snatch a child in the area.
Hundreds of residents came out, beat the unidentified man to a pulp and then set him and his vehicle alight on the open field next to the M5.
Social media was flooded with graphic videos of the victim – now identified as e-hailing driver Abongile Mafalala, 31, from Dunoon – being beaten and set alight.
It was later revealed that Mafalala was innocent and the reports of an alleged kidnapping were fake.
Grassy Park police station commander Colonel Dawood Laing confirmed that no reports of kidnapping could be found during the investigation and the mass hysteria was caused by social media and the spreading of fake news.
Laing told IOL that Mafalala was in fact a victim of a crime and was robbed by gangsters moments before his brutal murder.
“The killing of him and destroying of his livelihood was wrong in so many ways.
“According to our information and reports, the person did not try to kidnap any child or children.
“No person reported an attempted kidnapping nor did anyone identify any alleged victims.
“The community took it upon themselves to play judge and executioner. The community found him guilty after he was robbed by the same gangsters that were present when he was killed.
“The community then helped these gangsters to finish their job and destroy all evidence,” Laing said.
He said he understood the fear communities have as the entire country is concerned about the safety of women and children being abducted, raped, killed and abused.
But he warned the public against acting and spreading misinformation.
“We cannot and must not spread false information or act on reports of fake news that we send so eagerly on social media.
“This only benefits these gangsters that are killing our children and drawing them into gangsterism .
“The same gangsters who destroy so many of our children and our households with the poison they are selling to our community.
“Some of us became killers and we even encouraged our children to participate in this illegal blood sport.
“Gangsters and community members showed our kids how to kill and act on what we think is right, despite not having all the facts.
“We taught them it is right to kill,” Laing said.
Western Cape police management has noted with concern the various social media posts in relation to perceived kidnappings or abductions in the metro and has cautioned social media users to refrain from posting unverified information.
“Since the launch of the National Child Protection week, the SAPS has observed false accounts of child kidnappings/abductions.
“The offence of kidnapping is viewed in a serious light by the SAPS, hence all reported cases are assigned to seasoned detectives.
“Due to the sensitive nature of the investigation of these cases, it is often necessary for us to be discreet in communicating the progress of these cases,” provincial police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said.
He said in relation to the mob justice attack in Parkwood, a number of people were taken in for questioning.
“Once they have been charged, they are due to make a court appearance in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on a charge of murder,” Swartbooi said.
Police are pleading with social media users to make use of platforms responsibly and to verify the source and authenticity of information before sharing.
IOL