MSHADZA – Local police have pleaded with community members not to take the law into their own hands but to report all criminal activities to them.
This is after a man in his early 30s was beaten to death by angry residents.
According to the police, the community accused the victim of terrorising the community and residents decided to take matters into their own hands.
“The victim was linked to many cases and it is unfortunate that the residents thought the only way to solve their problems was to permanently remove him from society,” said Const Naniki Nonyane.
He added that the community members fetched the victim from Swalala and took him to an open field in Mshadza where they beat him to death.
The residents claimed that he had raped a young girl and they were fed up with his actions.
“It doesn’t matter what a person has done. The people who are authorised to handle such matters are the police. We urge community members to alert us of any suspicions they may have about any suspect,” Nonyane added.
However, several community members told Mpumalanga News that they were tired of reporting cases that were always under investigation while suspects continue to intimidate innocent people.
“While we wait for the police to gather evidence against people who continue to bully residents, people continue to live in fear.
We feel that the police are failing us sometimes hence we take matters into our hands. I’m not condoning what the residents have done but I share their frustration,” said a local resident who wished to remain anonymous.
No arrests have been made and police are investigating a case of murder.
