‘I’m in pain,’ says mother of Zandspruit mob justice victim

The mother of one of four men killed in a mob justice incident in Zandspruit in the early hours of Wednesday morning said she was heartbroken to see her son die like that.

According to Captain Kay Makhubele, a group of about 200 people went out at 2am in search for youths who were robbing people in the area.

“It is reported that about nine boys were forcefully taken to the sports ground where they were assaulted. Four died and five were taken to hospital in a serious condition,” Makhubele said.

Cases of murder and attempted murder are being investigated. Police are searching for the suspects.

Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela condemned the mob justice incident.

Speaking to eNCA following the incident, the mother of one of the victims said she was told by a community member to go to the crime scene to look for her son. When she arrived she saw her son’s charred body.

ALSO READ: Five injured, four dead in Zandspruit mob justice attack 

“I feel weak, I never thought I would find my son like that in his underwear. At least the other victims were still clothed. It’s painful. I’m in pain because he was my child, I carried him for nine months,” she said.

Speaking to the news channel, community members said they felt nothing for the victims because they had had enough of robberies in the area.

“We heard about it just before 5am and rushed to the scene and found community members assaulting the men. We don’t feel anything about what happened today because they have been robbing us for a long time,” said one community member.

“We don’t know them, but we’re tired of their actions because once they break into your home, you don’t know where to run to. Normally you run to your house for refuge, but when they come into your home then you have nowhere to go.”