Three men were brutally assaulted, murdered, and set alight in a suspected vigilante attack in Kraaifontein on Wednesday night.
The gruesome incident, which unfolded around 10pm on Laboheme Street, took place after the national commissioner Fanie Masemola addressed the gang-related violence that has gripped the area.
According to the police, the three men, believed to be in their 30s, were accused by a mob of local residents of involvement in recent criminal activities. The said activities were possibly linked to a series of shootings that claimed six lives in the area between Monday and Tuesday.
Instead of turning the suspects over to authorities, the group allegedly took the law into their own hands, beating the men to death before setting their bodies ablaze in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence or exact retribution.
Severe burns mar identification
Police arrived shortly after the incident was reported, discovering the severely burnt remains of the three men, who were pronounced dead at the scene.
“The extent of the burns has made identification difficult, and autopsies are underway to determine the precise cause of death, though authorities suspect a combination of assault injuries and burns,” said the Western Cape police spokesperson Colonel André Traut.
He condemned the attack.
“The South African Police Service condemns vigilantism in the strongest possible terms. Taking the law into one’s own hands is illegal, and those involved will face prosecution.”
The Provincial Serious and Violent Crimes Unit is leading a triple homicide investigation, with no arrests yet made in connection with the vigilante killings, though a manhunt is ongoing.
Police have appealed to the public for information via the Crime Stop hotline (08600 10111) or the MySAPS app to help identify the victims and perpetrators.
Kraaifontein is a township in the Western Cape that has been gripped by a wave of violent incidents over the past few days.
When Masemola was in the area on Wednesday, he revealed that the police had arrested a 49-year-old man on the day.
This was in connection with one of the double murders, recovering a firearm believed to be linked to those shootings.
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