GEORGE NEWS - Following a countrywide increase in vigilante justice, an unknown local man was caught and manhandled by community members in Lawaaikamp for an alleged robbery in the neighbourhood on 10 August.
A similar incident in Lawaaikamp took place on Saturday 20 June when Akhona Matiya became a victim of mob justice. In both of these cases no formal complaint was laid with the police and no one was arrested.
Following the latest vigilante killing just outside Cape Town, Dan Plato, Western Cape MEC of Community Safety, condemned street justice in the strongest of terms.
"It needs to be made explicitly clear that the Western Cape will not tolerate vigilante kil-lings, regardless of the motivation or the circumstances," he said.
Plato was responding to the vigilante killing of a 27-year-old man who was stoned to death by community members in Mandela Park, Hout Bay, on Thursday 13 August.
"No sphere of government, police, law enforcement authority or community can allow such lawless and brutal acts to become part of our social fabric. I call on the South African Police Service to conduct a thorough investigation into the death and to protect the community from the criminal elements ope-rating in the community," said Plato.
Malcolm Pojie, Southern Cape Police spokesperson, said the police are concerned about vigilante justice.
"We advise vigilante groups to refrain from that and rather call the local police to deal with criminality. In instances where they do perform a citizen's arrest they must hand the suspect over to the SAPS without injuries or any other violent act in retaliation. These suspects should be given the chance to account for their deeds in a court of law," said Pojie.
Plato said the Department of Community Safety is committed to helping create a safer environment where people work, live and move about. "We cannot do this alone and need the support and commitment from our law-abiding community members," he added.
He urged the community to distance themselves from criminal elements and to report all incidents of crime to the police.
"If you feel the police are not doing what they are supposed to, alternatives exist to taking the law into your own hands by reporting them to alternative organisations."
Alternatives to police:
- The neighbourhood watch or Community Policing Forum
- The Office of the Western Cape Provincial Police Ombudsman
- The Department of Community Safety by lodging a complaint on 021 483 4332 or via e-mail at policing.complaints@westerncape.gov.za or safer@westerncape.gov.za
ARTICLE AND PHOTO: ZOLANI SINXO, GEORGE HERALD - JOURNALIST
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