Canaan Mdletshe

Canaan Mdletshe

An angry mob in Mpumalanga township in Hammersdale took the law into their own hands yesterday afternoon - stoning to death one man and seriously injuring his companion because they "suspected" them of being criminals.

The mob had gone from house to house searching for suspected criminals in the area. They burned down two houses they claimed were occupied by criminals, before stoning to death Msizi Kweyama and seriously injuring his friend Trevor Strydom.

Kweyama's terrified sister, who declined to give her name, said she was informed by a neighbour that her brother had been killed.

"When I arrived at the scene, I found him lying in a pool of blood, already dead. We don't know why he was killed - but they say he was involved in criminal activities."

A police officer investigating the attacks, said: "Unconfirmed reports are that community members armed with sticks, beat all the people they suspected to be criminals."