Mobsters on the loose

The scourge of mob justice, which has reached alarming proportions in Limpopo, has come back to haunt the Vhembe District.

Two months ago, two men suspected of a spate of crimes in villages around Vhembe were brutally killed in mob-related killings. One of the incidents happened in Vuwani, where a suspect was killed and his accomplices severely injured after being accused of gang rape in the village.

Another mob killing happened in the Hlanganani area where another suspected criminal was killed. As if that was not enough, the demon raised its ugly head again this week when two men were attacked in two separate incidents.

In one of the incidents, on Friday night, a group of community members in Phadzima village in the Vhulaudzi policing area outside Thohoyandou allegedly cornered a middle-aged man from the same village. The man, who was accused of the rape of a local woman aged 23, was taken to the local sports field and assaulted with an assortment of objects.

According to Limpopo police spokesperson Lt-Col Moatshe Ngoepe, the police were notified, reacted swiftly and rescued the man. "He was immediately taken to the hospital for medical attention. Preliminary police investigations have linked the injured suspect to four counts of rape and robbery. He will appear in the Thohoyandou Magistrate's Court as soon as he recovers from hospital to face these charges," said Ngoepe.

Ngoepe further said the people responsible for the assault of the suspect were still unknown and that no arrests had been made so far.

In another, unrelated incident, the police in Thohoyandou have launched a manhunt for a group of community members for the mob-killing of a man in his twenties at Vondwe village outside Thohoyandou, also on Friday

A passer-by allegedly made a gruesome discovery of the half-burnt body of a young man and notified the police, who responded immediately and processed the crime scene accordingly.

Ngoepe said preliminary police investigations into this matter had also revealed that the deceased was a resident of the same village and had been accused of being one of the suspects involved in a series of crimes in and around the area.

"The deceased was identified as 26-year-old Ronewa Siliga. The motive behind the killing is still not clear, but our investigations will tell upon completion, as they are still unfolding. The suspects involved in this incident are still unknown and there is no arrest yet.”

Anyone who knows who the suspects are in either incident can contact the nearest police station or the crime stop number 0860010111 or the crime line SMS 32211.

The two incidents were strongly condemned by Limpopo police commissioner Gen Nneke Ledwaba, who called on members of the community to stop and refrain from these “irresponsible acts” because they continue to destroy the hard-earned community-policing spirit that still exists around the province”.

“You cannot combat crime by committing crime, because there is no justifiable reason to attack or kill a person suspected of being involved in criminal activities.”

Community members who are still perpetrating this type of acts are going to be dealt with mercilessly and without compromise, concluded Ledwaba. 

Date:25 May 2018

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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