The Democratic Alliance (DA) has written to the Police Commissioner, Lt. Gen. Thembi Hadebe, to provide us with a report on mob justice acts in the province and the measures put in place to prevent such incidents.
The DA strongly condemns the mob justice in Majeje village outside Phalaborwa wherein four alleged armed robbers were burned to death on Thursday.
The incident took place after an owner of a local shop raised the alarm when the suspects allegedly attempted a burglary.
The men were hunted down, severely beaten and burned to death.
The DA is concerned that incidents of mob justice are increasing in Limpopo.
Recent incidents of mob justice include:
- In January 2022, 3 men were murdered for the alleged theft of livestock at Ga-Maila a Mapitsana in Sekhukhune.
- In January 2022 at Gilead, close to Mokopane, a woman was murdered by a mob following a fatal domestic incident.
- In April 2022 at Salema Village, a 37-year-old woman, Basani Portia Shuma, died after she was tied to a vehicle and dragged through the bushes for several kilometres. The victim was then pelted with stones and her house was set on fire. The mob apparently acted as they believed the victim was responsible for the disappearance of a local man who went missing two weeks ago.
The DA has sympathy with frustrated communities who do not feel safe in their own homes but we call on communities not to take the law into their hands.
We do believe that lack of police visibility and the lack of police stations in rural villages contributes to incidents of mob justice in our province.
The DA cares about the rule of law and everyone caught in an act of wrongdoing has the right to a fair trial.
SAPS in Limpopo needs to increase visibility especially in rural areas, implement anti-mob campaigns and educate communities on the dangers of mob justice.
We will further request the Chairperson of the committee to conduct district road shows by the committee to meet and engage with Community Police Forums (CFP).
Issued by Katlego Suzan Phala MPL - DA Provincial Spokesperson on Transport and Community Safety