Police crack Zone 11 crossborder stocktheft syndicate

The country’s FMD crisis is currently concentrated in Zone 11, the second largest disease control area and the country’s most economically critical area for cattle ranching. The Zone has been under the strictest FMD restrictions in the country since the virus broke out in South Africa two months ago. A young man suspected of breaking into a car was seized by residents, severely assaulted, and died in the hospital within an hour.

We unreservedly condemn this mob justice. It is not a solution to crime, but a criminal offence that turns citizens into murderers.Residents are understandably angry about theft. The person who raised the alarm at 4am acted lawfully, and the neighbours who rushed to help showed community spirit. But what followed was…