The South African Police Service (SAPS) has defended its officers saying they could have been on the scene of the alleged mob justice incident in Zandspruit, north of Johannesburg, earlier had the community not prevented them from getting there.
Earlier a community leader said the incident could have been averted had police responded swiftly.
Community leader in Zandspruit in Gauteng describes as shocking, alleged mob justice incident which left 4 men dead and 5 others critically injured. Themba Mchunu says police could have done more to avert death of the men who were beaten to death and set alight by some residents.
— SAfm news (@SAfmnews) May 19, 2021
The incident left four men dead and five others critically injured in the informal settlement on Wednesday.
This after, angry residents took nine young men to a local sports ground and beat them up after accusing them of terrorising the community.
The residents also set the men alight.
4 people killed and 5 others wounded following a case of mob justice in Honeydew, west of Johannesburg. It’s alleged that about 200 people from the Zandspruit informal settlement attacked a group of 9 boys that they had suspected of robbing people in the area #sabcnews
— SAfm news (@SAfmnews) May 19, 2021
Police spokesperson, Kay Makhubele says there is no excuse.
“The sector vehicle indeed went to the scene after they called and about 200 people stoned the vehicle and it made a U-turn and called a backup that’s when people disperse from the ground. If the police are not responding we have got a protocol to follow, if they are not getting help from the police they must go to the station commander and talk to him or the district commander. So they cannot give excuses of killing people because police are not responding.”
