Durban – In Angry residents of KwaNdengezi near Pinetown have hacked and stabbed to death a man they accused of cable theft. Residents assaulted the man on Friday after accusing him of causing power failures in the area.
Police discovered his body on Mkhangoma Road in KwaNdengezi.
They are investigating a case of murder.
In Pietermaritzburg, residents of Copesville, who have been victims of electricity theft by their neighbours in the informal settlements bordering the suburb, told the Daily News on Sunday that two cable thieves had been caught and assaulted on Friday night.
“We have become tired of calling the police because as soon as the cops leave, it starts all over again. We have taken the law into our own hands now.
“The thieves we caught were taught a good lesson,” said one of the residents who requested anonymity.
Copesville residents have experienced several blackouts and power outages over the past two years as a result of cable theft and illegal electricity connections.
The Msunduzi municipality is in the process of electrifying informal settlements in the city in an attempt to curb electricity theft.
Police commissioner Mmamonyeni Ngobeni urged residents not to take the law into their own hands.
“Vigilantism will not be tolerated and perpetrators will be prosecuted,” she said…
South Africa Today – South Africa News
