While I believe that criminals must be punished harshly, I'm vehemently opposed to mob justice against suspected criminals.

That, to me, is another form of crime and anyone who is involved in any criminal activity needs to be apprehended and dealt with accordingly.

Mob justice has bad consequences and it may land others in jail.

You can't take the law into your own hands because doing so is just criminal as well. You're as guilty as the initial perpetrator.

I was home in Zoeknog, near Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga, when I witnessed a young man gruesomely torched to his death after he was accused of raping and murdering a
16-year-old schoolgirl.

After the funeral of the girl, the community decided that enough was enough, and they took matters into their own hands. They beat up the boy and afterwards they burnt him alive.

We may not be happy with the reaction of the police or the justice system, but we still need to trust in them because they're the only ones we can run to for help in this regard.

The problem here is what if the accused rapist was in fact framed?

We can't bring him back if it is discovered that the boy was mistakenly killed for the allegations against him.

This is challenging. I am appealing to communities not to take the law into their own hands.

To the police as well, please react quickly when people report crime.

The justice system of this land must also help heal the country.

Lock the criminals away.

They don't belong with the law-abiding citizens.

Godfrey Malibe
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