By Siyabonga Mkhwanazi 
Jul 8, 2021
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Cape Town – Police have warned that mob justice cases are on the rise, with 298 vigilante cases recorded in the first three months of this year.
SAPS head of social crime prevention, Major-General Thokozani Mathonsi, told a webinar on Thursday that this was a serious issue, and it needs to be addressed.
He said only the police were allowed by the Constitution to enforce the law.
There were no other people or parties outside the police who can enforce the law as determined by Section 205 of the Constitution.
Mathonsi said cases of mob justice or vigilantism were caused by factors in communities.
However, he warned that there was no justification for mob killings.
“Actually, there is no justice about vigilantism. It perpetuates further criminality and violence. During the fourth quarter of the last financial year, which will be January to March this year, from our side, we recorded 298 murders emanating from mob justice, 69 attempted murders, 403 assault GBH, which is serious assault. That is a total of 770 cases in just three months,” said Mathonsi.
He said the spate of mob justice must come to an end.
The police will continue to work with communities to ensure this does not happen.
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Political Bureau