Matricide suspect set alight

In yet another brutal case of mob justice in Mpumalanga, a man accused of killing his mother died after he was set alight by the community.

Hendrick Mathebula, 37, allegedly killed his mother Lillian Mathebula, 66, on Tuesday after an argument. He fled his home after he allegedly buried her in a shallow grave in their yard.

According to police, neighbours in Casteel, Bushbuckridge, became suspicious when they did not see the victim for a while. The residents called the cops.

"Upon our arrival we found the buried [body of] the victim," said police spokesperson Brig Leonard Hlathi.

"We found out that the community had hunted down the accused, found him, beat him and set him alight," said Hlathi.

Community member Vutomi Sibiya told Sowetan they were shocked and angered by the killing.

"This man is cruel, he killed his mother and buried her. That's something that angered the community, that's why they killed him. This woman was very friendly and loved her neighbours," Sibiya said.