Police have once again appealed to communities not to take the law into their own hands. This comes after a woman was set alight at Diphale village at Mecklenburg on the weekend, several days after her so-called boyfriend was attacked and fatally shot.
Provincial Police Spokesperson Moatshe Ngoepe said the woman was allegedly attacked on Sunday afternoon. “She and a vehicle were reportedly set alight by community members and she burnt to death. The incident occurred in front of the house of Andrew Kgopane who was shot and killed last week. She has not yet been identified and we suspect her to have been in her 40s,” Ngoepe said. He added that the house of a family living nearby was also set alight and burnt to ashes the same day.
He referred to the killing of Kgopane and said he and his girlfriend were walking at night when attacked by an unknown group of community members who fired several shots at the couple. Kgopane was fatally wounded while his girlfriend managed to escape unharmed.
The reason for the killings are not yet known. No arrests were made yet and investigations continue.
“We are calling on all community members to desist from acts of vigilantism and so-called mob justice. The Police will act mercilessly against anyone who participates in these violent activities,” Provincial Police Commissioner Nneke Ledwaba was quoted to have said.
He concluded that the Police must be given space to conduct a proper investigation and community members can give their support by providing quality and reliable information to the Police. Anyone with information contact the investigating officer William Ramokhubedu on 082 499 8389.
Story: RC Myburgh
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