The Parkwood mob murder of e-hailing driver Abongile Mafalala, who was brutally killed in late May, has turned from tragedy to justice pursuit.
Mafalala was accused of being a kidnapping suspect in the area. This led to locals taking ‘action’ into their own hands, killing and torching the man in an act of mob justice. However, it was later suspected that Mafalala was innocent, and the victim of fake news.
Arrests were made thereafter, locating five suspects in court on 6 June. The case was postponed, and by 13 June, 13 people made docket appearances, amongst them was a 15-year-old boy.
Today the matter returns to the Wynberg Magistrates Court as EWN confirms, facing charges of robbery, malicious damage to property and murder.
Meanwhile, another mob justice attack took place in Kraaifontein Wallacedene over the weekend that left a 37-year-old man reportedly beaten to death after being accused of crime.
Since both these instances occurred, South Africans have offered varying opinions and emotions on social media. Many have expressed an emotional opposition to mob justice no matter the circumstances while others have condemned the spread of mob justice mentality, especially on social media.
Western Cape Community Safety and Police Oversight MEC, Reagen Allen has said that such incidents cannot be condoned and that they highlight a “very concerning trend.”
“Under no circumstances does any person have the right to take the law into their own hands,” he added.
Additionally, we saw another incidence of South Africans taking matters into their own hands in the case of #JacoSwart, the wife abuser. Swart reportedly found himself on the wrong end of men in Pretoria who gave Swart a taste of his own medicine.
Also read:
#JacoSwart alleges assault against him – how the tables have turned
Picture: Cape {Town} Etc gallery