A brazen bank card scammer who reportedly thought he was smart enough to rob a local resident of a bank card experienced the wrath of angry residents, who attacked him in an extreme form of mob justice, beating him severely with an assortment of weapons.
The unknown man, rumoured to be from Nkowankowa, later died from his injuries on his way to the local Malamulele Hospital.
The incident occurred at the Saselamani Shopping Complex on Wednesday, 9 July, at around 18:00. Information available to Limpopo Mirror indicates that a resident was withdrawing money at the local ATM when the suspect attempted to swap the bank card. The victim cried for help, and community members rushed to his aid.
Vhembe SAPS spokesperson W/O Vuledzani Dathi confirmed the incident, saying the police had opened a murder case after the killing of the scammer. He said the suspects were unknown at this stage and appealed to communities to refrain from taking the law into their own hands as it is a crime in itself.
"Incidents of mob justice are becoming a source of great concern in our communities. Not long ago, we had such incidents at Itsani and Maniini, and in both cases suspects have been arrested in connection with the murders. It is worse with the latest incident as it happened at the doorstep of the local Saselamani Police Station," he said.
A local resident who did not want to be identified applauded the residents' actions, saying it would deter criminals. "We are very tired of the criminality taking place here. Day in and day out we are robbed and mugged in this small town. What happened here will send a strong message to criminals that this is a no-go area for them," he said.
Meanwhile, the police are urging anyone with information about the murder to contact the investigating officer, Sgt Mikateko Elma Gunguva, at (082) 664-6843.