A man from Makatu outside Nzhelele, allegedly out on parole, caused some drama when he went back to his old evil ways. He got more than he bargained for, however, when angry community members gave him a hiding that he will never forget.
The man allegedly raped a woman at Ha-Tshikhudo, a neighbouring village, and stabbed her several times and also stabbed her husband. According to reports, he also attempted to rape another woman in the same village, but angry community members spotted him and gave chase.
With nearly 500 community members in hot pursuit, the man sneaked into the house of the spokesperson of the police in Thohoyandou, Maj Mashudu Malelo at Hamakatu. It is alleged that the man entered the policeman's house through the sitting room and ended up in the kitchen, where he sought refuge.
The enraged mob, however, caught up with him and attacked him with whatever they could put their hands on. At the end of it ,the man was badly injured and taken away after the owner summoned an ambulance. Malelo said he was busy at the back of his house with family members when they were surprised by a mob numbering close to 500.
"I am still in shock. I was in a joyful mood with family members when the whole episode unfolded. A group of angry residents just popped in at my yard, holding sticks and other weapons. They told me they were looking for a criminal who was hiding in the house, but we had not seen anybody entering the house. I could not refuse them permission to go in and they searched everywhere until they found him and meted out instant justice to him. I was so helpless," he said.
He further said that his family was severely traumatized and in shock. "Just imagine a group of people armed with all sorts of equipment just barging into your yard; it was really scary. I just thank God that no one was harmed in the family."
Siloam police spokesperson W/O Edzisani Tharaga said they had opened an attempted-murder case and warned members of the community not to take the law into their own hands. "Community members should learn to work with the police. If you catch a criminal, please alert the police who will come and arrest the criminal," he said.