Eight due in court after suspected thief killed over stolen cellphone

Eight men are due to appear in court on Monday after a 42-year-old suspected thief was beaten to death during an alleged mob justice attack. The victim, who lived in the same area as the suspects, was murdered on Wednesday. “Community members assaulted the 42-year-old to death with sticks after accusing him of having stolen a cellphone in the locality, an accusation he denied,” police spokesperson Captain Welile Matyolo said.

“Port St Johns detectives worked around the clock to identify the perpetrators and eight suspects were ultimately arrested and charged with murder.” The suspects are due to appear in the Port St Johns magistrate’s court on Monday. OR Tambo district commissioner Major-General Norman Modishana slammed the alleged brutal mob justice, urging communities to always report any crime-related incidents to the nearest police station but not to take the law into their own hands. Click here to join the Daily Dispatch’s WhatsApp channel and get the latest news delivered straight to your phone