By Anita Dangazele
Eastern Cape police have condemned the killing of four people in Bityi, outside Mthatha, on Saturday, with three separate incidents being investigated.
Two of the victims, aged 30 and 40, were strangled to death in different cases. The other two men were killed after allegedly being linked to the murder of one of the victims.
Police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa, said a neighbour saw two men escaping from the 30-year-old victim’s house in the morning.
“The neighbour went to the house in the morning when she noticed two men jumping out of the window and fleeing. She found the door slightly open, and on entering the house, she saw the body of her neighbour lying on the floor. She alerted the community, who allegedly chased after the two men,” said Mawisa.
The two men were later found dead in a grazing field with multiple injuries.
In another case, a 40-year-old man was found dead in his house with multiple injuries and an electric cable around his neck.
Police have opened three murder cases, including two counts of murder in one of them.
Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene, condemned the killings and urged residents not to take the law into their own hands.
“SAPS condemns the mob justice and is taking it seriously where people are taking the law into their own hands. We encourage the members of the community to report any criminal activity to the authorities or utilise community-based structures like the Community Police Forum (CPF), which seeks to bridge the gap between the community and the police,” said Mene.
Pictured above: A police vehicle.
Source: X
