Cape Town - The management of the South African Police Service in the Western Cape has issued a stern warning to community members who engage in mob justice attacks after the burnt bodies of four men were discovered at an informal settlement in Samora Machel on Tuesday morning.
The recent mob justice comes just two days after another four victims were assaulted in a mob attack in Mfuleni’s Covid informal settlement. Their bodies were alleged to have been dumped in a river, and despite the police divers effort, their bodies are yet to be found. The divers, instead, found two bodies in the river not linked to the missing four.
According to community members, the four men were between the ages of 20 and 25. They were known for terrorising the area, and they were dragged out of their homes, beaten and burnt in a field.
Samora CPF chairperson Bongani Maqunwana said he was not sure if the men were attacked due to their history or if they had recently committed a crime.
“As the CPF, we are not sure if they were caught red-handed or they were attacked because they are known for their criminal activities. We condemn this act by the community and ask them to refrain from taking the law into their own hands.
“Police were called out to the Fanenze Informal Settlement in the Vlei area after 8am this (Tuesday) morning, where four badly burnt bodies were found,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa.
“The identities of the deceased persons are still unknown. Samora Machel detectives have initiated murder investigations with SAPS management warning perpetrators of mob justice attacks they will be sought to face the full might of the law.”
She asked anyone with information about the identities of the deceased persons and the circumstances that led to their deaths, is urged to contact the police on 0860 010 111 or via MySAPSApp.
“Information received will be handled in strict confidence.”
Weekend Argus