The bodies of three people killed vigilante style have been found in Samora Machel.
Western Cape police spokesperson, Andre Traut, says the bodies were found in different locations but near to each other in the “C Section informal settlement” on Tuesday.
It is alleged that the community accused the victims of being armed robbers, after which they were allegedly targeted and killed.
While a post-mortem is being conducted to ascertain the exact cause of their death, police suspect they were fatally assaulted.
An investigation is underway.
“Vigilantism is condemned in the strongest possible terms. Such acts are not only unlawful but also undermine the rule of law,” said Traut.
Traut said those found to be involved in the crime will face the full might of the law. He called on anyone with information on the incident to come forward.
Similarly, the Samora Machel Community Policing Forum has urged residents to assist in the investigation. The CPF’s Xolani Joga explained that the incident happened in a part of Samora Machel known as Kosovo, and also condemned the incident in the strongest terms.
“We are calling the community, anyone who can come up front to assist the police with the information so that an arrest can be made. We are also calling the residents to open space for the police so that the police can do a proper investigation,” said Joga.
He further called on intervention from government departments, as this is among several recent murders in the area. Joga claims that more than 15 people have been killed in the last two months.
“The government [must] urgently intervene and try to assist the community of Samora Machel before the community can stand up and take their law into their hands,” said Joga.
No arrests have been made as yet.
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The article has been updated with additional information. This is a developing story.