Three stoned to death in apparent mob justice

A 53-year-old man, his partner , 51, and her son, 32, were stoned to death at Senotlelo village near Vaalbank in Mpumalanga after a body of a girl was found inside a pit toilet in the early hours of Saturday.

Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said according to their report, Nomsa Sambo (8) went missing and her family reported her disappearance at the local Vaalbank police station last Sunday.

He said thereafter information emerged about a man who was allegedly seen carrying the child to his house.

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Mohlala said police then responded to the information and on Monday, the man was taken in for questioning and a kidnapping case was subsequently opened.

“However, the man denied all the allegations. There was insufficient evidence by then to charge him hence he was later released,” he said.

Death and destruction

On Saturday morning, Mohlala said, information surfaced that the missing child was inside a pit toilet at the suspect’s residence.

He said Vaalbank police as well as members from Search and Rescue team rushed to the scene and upon arrival they found lifeless bodies of three individuals, two males and one female on the street.

Mohlala said the bodies had serious injuries which suggest that they could have been stoned and medical personnel who responded to the scene had certified them dead.

He said police also discovered that two vehicles, a Ford Bantam as well as a VW Jetta 4 were burnt to ashes.

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“The child was eventually retrieved from the pit toilet and she was unfortunately certified dead as well,” Mohlala said.

The three deceased have since been identified Zele Papo Machika, Pauline Maubane as well as their son Thabo Maubane.

He said the Police later learnt that the torched vehicles belonged to the son.

Top level probe

Mohlala said the case of kidnapping initially opened has since been changed to murder meanwhile three counts of murder is been investigated with regard to the three adults that were murdered.

He said no one has been arrested so far and police are investigating this horrific incident.

Mohlala said a team of investigators under the leadership of the provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela has been assembled to probe the incident.

“This country is governed by laws and a situation of mob justice where people take the law into their own hands can never be accepted or allowed hence we encourage communities to work together with the police whenever they have information regarding crime rather than trying to pay revenge themselves. We had long-life sentences that were imposed upon perpetrators of violent crimes. Therefore the public should allow the arms of the state to operate” Manamela said.

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