Stabbing suspect set alight by community
WARNING GRAPHIC PHOTO: An eye witness who was on the scene says the man was pelted with stones before he was set alight.
POLOKWANE – A man who was said to be responsible for the stabbing and subsequent death of a 30-year-old man in Bendor on Saturday, was traced down by community members who reportedly assaulted him before setting him alight in Industria Street on Monday.
Provincial police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo confirmed that a murder is being investigated after they were called to a scene where an unknown man was killed during an apparent mob justice incident. No arrests followed.
An eye witness who was on the scene on Monday says he was in his shop when he heard a commotion outside and went to see what was going on.
“The man came running towards the front of the shop and he was followed by a group of people who were pelting him with stones.
They started hitting him with bricks and eventually set him on fire.”
He says he is not sure what was exactly going on but what he could pick up from the community is that they were taking the law into their own hands, after they suspected that the man was responsible for a stabbing
incident on the weekend as well as an alleged other incident on Monday morning.
“The people were angry and when others tried to calm the situation, this just served as fuel to the fire. They blamed him for stabbing two people and said they would not wait for him to get arrested as he would be released soon thereafter. It was a very traumatic experience and I don’t think any crime warrants someone to be killed in such a gruesome way.”
Francois Swart, Community Policing Forum (CPF) media liaison officer says they are working with the police in the investigation of the crime and are fortunate that video footage was made available to them.
“The incident was reported at about 12:30 and we assume that it must have started at about 11:40. Business owners along the street supplied their video footage and it will go a long way in assisting police with their
investigations.”
Mojapelo says even if the deceased was responsible for the stabbing incident it does not mean he deserved to lose his life. “Any form of violence is condemned. No one has the right to take someone’s life or to take the
law into their own hands even if the person was responsible for a crime.”
Referring to the stabbing incident on Saturday evening, Mojapelo said the victim was identified as Maupa Mafa (30).
Mafa was walking from a tavern in Kruger Street with four of his friends when a man emerged and started fighting with them in the vicinity of Genl Maritz Street.
It is believed that Mafa was stabbed in the process and made his way to the Sasol Bendor fuel station to seek assistance.
He collapsed at the fuel station and was certified dead on the scene. He had a wound to his throat, according to Mojapelo. No arrests have been made and the investigation continues.
Owner of the fuel station Johan Potgieter confirmed that the stabbing did not happen on the premises.
“The man was injured elsewhere and ran to the fuel station for assistance when he collapsed. Medical personnel and police took over the scene. I would like to thank crime CPF members and especially Johan Retters of Bendor and Sterpark Safety Forum (BSSF) for their quick response and support,” Potgieter said.
In an unrelated incident, a couple who was sitting in a vehicle in the park opposite Tom Naudé Technical High School was attacked and robbed on Friday evening, a member of the CPF reliably told Review.
“It is not known how many suspects were involved but they forced the couple into the boot of the vehicle and robbed them of their personal belongings. We do not know how long they were locked up for but CPF
members who patrolled the area noticed the abandoned vehicle and upon further investigation managed to free the couple.”
Mojapelo could not confirm the incident.
On Sunday evening police were called by members of the community to notify them that two people who came running from Rainbow Park into Westenburg who were severely assaulted.
It is alleged that community members of Rainbow Park assaulted them after being accused of committing crime in the area.
Mojapelo said police opened a skeleton docket of assault with intention to do grievous bodily harm as the victims were not able to speak due to the severity of their injuries. They were taken to hospital for
medical treatment.
