Four suspects were arrested for theft after the community of Marapong decided to take matters into their own hands.The incident took place on Thursday morning the 8th of December at around 08:00. Lephalale police received a call about some community members assaulting people they suspected of house breaking.
This came after one of the residents of Marapong complained that his clothes were stolen. When he asked his neighbours if they saw anything in his yard, he was given the description of the person who was at his house and the direction he took.
After following him, he apparently found some of his clothes sold to one of the community members.
The person whom the clothes were sold to directed him to where the suspect stays. That is when he called for back up from the community, who came out in numbers. They found the suspect who then told to them that some items were sold to a traditional healer who does his traditional practice in a shack at a location near Marapong Stadium on Relebogile Street not far from Marapong Complex.The mob justice on the suspects apparently began before police would intervene.
The attention soon was directed at the traditional healer who reportedly had some items sold to him.
A TV ,laptop, DVD player and cellphones were found in his possession.
He was also arrested for possession of suspected stolen property. The two suspects who were beaten by the mob were taken to Ellisras Provincial Hospital and already one was discharged from the hospital and released on the same day.
The traditional healer and two other suspects were arrested. In addition another suspect, a woman who is also linked to this was arrested after she was found with property that doesn’t belong to her, making it four suspects in theft of property.
Lephalale SAPS Warrant Officer Frans Mokoena says though they applaud the community for helping the police catch suspects, they urge that the law must not be taken into own hands.
A case of theft of property was opened at Lephalale SAPS.