Johannesburg - Police have taken in one person for questioning over the murder of a man alleged to have been killed in a mob attack.
A video of people dragging 27-year-old Thoriso Themane's lifeless body did the rounds on social media and left many outraged.
Is this what it's come to? Thinking it's normal to watch your friends murder someone while you film it?
At what point does your conscious kick in and you ask yourself "what if that were me, and someone just stood by and filmed all this"? #JusticeforThoriso
— Yukio Mathebula (@YukioSoul) February 26, 2019
The incident led to the hashtag #JusticeforThoriso. Some called for the death penalty, saying those that brutally killed Themane should be found and be killed as well.
The story of Thoriso breaks my heart. What happened to humanity 😳 #RIPThoriso #JusticeForThoriso
— Nicolette Mashile (@ImcocoMash) February 26, 2019
Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said it is believed that a community member found a severely injured Themane in Flora Park, Polokwane on Sunday.
He said Themane was rushed to hospital where he was certified dead on arrival.
Rest in peace homeboy. We will miss you pic.twitter.com/qYVYgxBENH
— Nyiko_Curtis (@Jurgen9128) February 26, 2019
"It's not clear what happened but the killing was mob-related. We don't know what the cause of that mob attack was," he said.
Ngoepe said police were investigating.
It is alleged that schoolchildren were involved in the attack after a video on social media showed a teenage boy at school apparently admitting to having killed someone. Many believe the boy was referring to Themane but the deceased's name is not mentioned.
Ngoepe refused to be drawn into any of those allegations and was unable to confirm if schoolchildren were involved.
"We are hard at work and we will arrest more people. We can't confirm if any school children were involved and no children have been arrested or taken in for questioning," he said.
This is one of my biggest fears: bringing a human into this world. It is such a dangerous place &we can’t protect our kids 24 hours a day. To think such things can happen to anyone, is so mind crippling I’m actually so sad.💔 No parent should bury their child #JusticeforThoriso
— Gugulamantungwa (@GuguNdabezitha) February 26, 2019
15 year old local boy kills a man, takes credit when a body is found, still goes to school and tells his friends nobody will do anything because his dad is a cop☹️
What is this? #JusticeforThoriso
— Karabo Sambo (@DarkpoetJ) February 26, 2019
"Everyone has the right to life" this is what our Constitution says, this is why the death penalty was abolished, but everyday these devils take someone elses life and have a right to live too??? NO ! #JusticeforThoriso
— Kaylie (@Kaylen_N23) February 26, 2019