A mob justice incident claimed the lives of two men at Bokgaga Mokgolobotho village in Limpopo on Wednesday.
Police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said police were alerted about the incident by one of the victims who managed to escape.
Upon arrival at the scene, police found the burned bodies of two men.
“The crowd had already dispersed. Police found an assortment of objects on the scene including stones,” said Ledwaba.
According to Ledwaba, preliminary investigations indicate that the community mobilised after they accused the three men of committing crimes in the area.
“They then dragged the victims from their homes to a nearby mountain where they assaulted and burned them.”
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe condemned acts of vigilantism in Limpopo. She ordered an investigation into the murders.
“Acts of vigilantism are condemned in the strongest possible terms they deserve,” said Hadebe.
“We therefore make an appeal to communities not to commit these acts, the law will have to deal harshly with those responsible for such attacks.”
Police have opened two counts of kidnapping and two counts of murder, said Ledwaba, adding that the identities of the deceased will be revealed at a later stage.
He appealed to community members to help police bring the perpetrators to book.
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