WESTERN Cape community safety MEC Dan Plato has called on Khayelitsha residents to refrain from vigilantism and the necklacing of people and to use the criminal justice system in dealing with robbers and other criminals.

He made the plea after meeting Khayelitsha ward councillors and other community leaders in the area yesterday.

Earlier this week community leaders urged the provincial government to act fast before more people die at the hands of vigilantes.

There had been a spate of kangaroo courts and necklacing of several alleged robbers in the township because of a breakdown of the criminal justice system and distrust between the police and the community.

Last week about 1000 residents killed three men in Nkanini informal settlement by necklacing after a kangaroo court had found them guilty of stealing a gene-rator.

Five days before this three bodies were found on the sand dunes in Makhaza.

Speaking to Sowetan after the meeting yesterday, Plato said he had heard of incidents of mob killings, especially in Harare, Makhaza and Nkanini in Khayelitsha.

"One of the causes of these killings is that police officers are not visible in the community," he said.

Another problem was that many residents did not understand the criminal justice system.

"People ask why robbers and other criminals get bail? They also ask why certain cases are being dropped by courts."

Plato said they had agreed at the meeting that more people and structures should be mobilised to jointly address the problem of mob killings and necklacing in the area.

"I have promised councillors and other community leaders that I will meet police management to ensure that police officers are visible in Khayelitsha."

But he had also appealed to people not to take the law into their own hands and to allow justice to take its course.

Tomorrow the Khaye-litsha community policing forum will hold a workshop in Harare, where residents will be addressed on vigilantism and mob killings.

A similar event isplanned by the Khayelitsha Development Forum for Sunday.

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa was also expected to visit Khayelitsha yesterday to address residents on mob justice.

Gavin Silber, public coordinator for Social Justice Coalition in Khayelitsha, said there was certainly a link between the continued and systemic failures of Khayelitsha's criminal justice system and mob justice.

He said it was clear that the criminal justice system in Khayelitsha was ineffective, adding that distrust was also fuelled by a number of factors such as police brutality, solicitation of bribes, being drunk on duty and corruption.