MOTHERWELL – Two 30-year-old males were murdered by groups of persons yesterday and this morning in vigilante attacks. This morning at about 04:50 police and ambulance services were alerted to a naked male lying in Sakhuba Street, Zwide after he was attacked by a group of persons. His hands and feet were bound in wire and there was a rope around his neck. He had multiple injuries due to being severely assaulted with unknown objects or weapons. His body was partially burnt and he was wearing blue pants and a green shirt.
This followed after another unrelated incident yesterday where the burnt body of another 30-year-old male was found in a storm water channel behind Mboniselo Primary School in Mandela Village, Ikamvelihle at about 09:30. The male victim’s hands were bound behind his back and his body covered in injuries from a severe assault by a group of unknown suspects. His body was also burnt using flammable objects. Both victims’ identities remain unknown but are both estimated to be about 30 years old.
In the meantime a crack police detective team dealing with vigilante attack (mob justice) murders arrested five (5) suspects last night in Kwazakele. They have been linked to the murder of a 23-year-old Sinethemba Gwatya on 29 July 2019. He was murdered by a group of suspects after they severely assaulted him and then set his body alight using tyres.
The five(5) suspects which includes four (4) males aged between 32 and 47 years old, and a 37-year-old female were detained at New Brighton police station. A group of community gathered at the gates of the police station this morning demanding their release, but after Public Order Police (POPS) intervention, the group dispersed again by noon today. The 5 suspects will be appearing before the New Brighton Magistrate’s court tomorrow to face charges of murder.
The Motherwell Cluster Commander, Major General Dawie Rabie applauded the arrests and repeated the warning that “The SAPS cannot allow communities to take the law into their own hands by becoming a community of killers and killing persons in the streets. Any person taking part in such activities will be arrested and charged with murder.”
Any person that can assist police in these murder cases can contact Detective Lieutenant Colonel Marlize Dippenaar at 082 457 2507.
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