The Police in South Africa plans to use viral video clips showing villagers in Mpumalanga burning a man implicated in the rape and murder of a pregnant woman will be used to track down those who participated in the mob justice attack this week.
News24 reported that the residents of Saselani village near Bushbuckridge went on the rampage on Tuesday and used sticks and stones to fatally assault one of the suspects in the murder of 20-year-old Charlotte Mashaba, who was seven months pregnant. The second suspect was set alight.
Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said that the villagers pointed out two other suspects, but it was later discovered that they were not linked to Mashaba’s rape and murder.
“They were charged with armed robbery, assault with intent to cause grievous body harm, rape and murder. However, the suspects were released on Thursday because they could not be linked to the crime.
“As the police we want to make sure that everybody in the country is safe, including suspected people. That’s why we are going to use anything available to arrest those who were involved in the beating and killing of the two other suspects.
“People must know that we are not on the side of criminals, but it is our duty to keep all the citizens safe. For this reason we will even use the viral videos to identify suspects,” Mohlala said.
The police said Mashaba was attacked with her 24-year-old sister on the night of September 18. They were robbed of their Stokvel money.
“After robbing them of an undisclosed amount of cash the suspects took the pregnant woman with them. She was found the next morning brutally murdered. As the result of this incident, on Tuesday the community members hunted the people believed to be responsible for killing the woman and they murdered them.
“They managed to track down the first one, a 24-year-old man, Bongani Mkhabela, who was instructed to point out his other friends. He then took the mob to the home of his friend, 21-year-old Lloyd Moon. Moon was fatally wounded with rocks, sticks and other objects.
“The mob then instructed Mkhabela to take them to the place where they killed the woman. Upon arrival at the place, they also severely assaulted him with sticks, stones and burned him with a tyre,” said Mohlala.
Mohlala warned members of the public to desist from taking the law into their own hands.
“The police further appeal to the community to assist with information that could lead to the arrest of the remaining suspects,” Mohlala said.
