Two men were almost beaten to death at Tshiozwi on Sunday after being attacked by residents in yet another incident of mob justice. The men were accused of being responsible for a spate of robberies, theft, attacks on residents and other crimes. The men were only saved by the police's arrival on the scene.
Tshiozwi residents gathered on Sunday and launched a manhunt for two suspects. One of the suspects was confronted, but he then tried to run away. When he was later caught, he was beaten mercilessly by the mob. The young man had allegedly confessed and then taken the crowd to another suspect, who allegedly sold the stolen goods.
A community member, Mr Justice Murwanthi, welcomed the beating of the alleged criminals. "These criminals think they can do as they wish in the community. We are tired of crime and the rule of law is taking us nowhere. Beating or killing them will send a strong message out there that whoever wants to indulge in crime should think twice before doing that," he said.
Murwanthi said that residents had taken the law into their own hands because they felt the police were not doing their job. "Our community is sick and tired of the police arresting criminals and then, within weeks, they are released.'"
A member of the community who happened to pass by the scene and preferred to remain anonymous said it was good that the two were beaten. "These criminals think they can do as they wish in the community." She said a lot of crime took place in the area that needed residents to work in close cooperation with the police. "Ugly situations like these could be averted if criminals are locked away for a long time," she said.
A spokesperson for the police confirmed this week that the suspects had been beaten with different objects. Residents were again discouraged from taking the law into their own hands. "If a crime is committed, the community should call the police and let the officers do their jobs. People should take into consideration that taking the law into their own hands is a downright criminal offence," the spokesperson said.
The police spokesperson said that no case had been opened and no one had been arrested.