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Community kills three suspected robbers after attack on elderly woman in Limpopo village

Three men were killed in a mob justice attack in Limpopo.
Three men were killed in a mob justice attack in Limpopo.
Image: 123RF/Duncan Noakes

Three men accused of being house robbers were beaten to death in a mob justice attack in Ga-Wally village in Mokwakwaila, outside Tzaneen, on Sunday.

The trio were hunted down by community members after an unknown man entered an elderly woman's home. She was attacked and screamed for help, after which the community reacted.

"Preliminary police investigations revealed that this brutal attack follows a chain of events that commenced at around midnight when an intruder allegedly got into a house of an elderly woman. The woman reportedly screamed for help and community members of the said village consequently mobilised and hunted down the intruder until they caught three unknown middle-aged men.

"After accusing them of being responsible for house robberies in the area, the three were then brutally assaulted with an assortment of objects," said police spokesperson, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo.

He said police reacted to frantic calls from the area but on arrival at the scene, the three men had already been beaten to death and the mob dispersed.

Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nneke Ledwaba condemned the killings.

"The police will be merciless in dealing with any people who take the law into their own hands by attacking people they suspect of being criminals," he said.  

Police have urged those who might have information that could lead to the arrest of those involved to contact Colonel Cecil Machimane on 082 45 17181, or the crime stop number 0860 010 111, or crime line sms number 32211, or go the nearest police station.

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