South Africa: Killer Vigilantes Sentenced to Life Imprisonment

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has welcomed the sentences imposed by the Bhisho High Court in a matter relating to the vigilante killing of four people at Debenek in the Eastern Cape.

At least 16 people were each convicted and sentenced in the court for:

Four counts of murder: life imprisonment.
Four counts of kidnapping: eight years' imprisonment.
Public violence: three years' imprisonment.

According to the NPA, the offences occurred in December 2022 when members of the community held a meeting and "resolved that individuals suspected of cable theft or related criminal activity would be subjected to so-called community punishment".

The next day, members of the community obstructed police and forced the law enforcement officers to retreat from the area.

"As a result of this unlawful decision, Lwando Makinana, Nwabisa Melane, Ziphozihle Thimba and Vuyo Clifford Lamani were forcibly removed from their homes and killed. The court heard that the victims were unarmed and posed no threat at the time of the attack.

"Collectively, the sentences amount to life imprisonment, plus an additional 35 years. The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of life imprisonment.

"The court further declared all the convicted persons unfit to possess firearms and ordered that the minor child of the late Nwabisa Melane be referred for professional counselling in recognition of the severe and lasting trauma caused by the crime," the NPA said.

The prosecutorial body acknowledged the "profound loss" suffered by the victims' families and vowed to prosecute any vigilantism "without fear, favour or prejudice".

"This matter sends a clear and uncompromising message: mob justice will be met with the full force of the law, and those who participate in it will face the most severe consequences.

"The NPA once again urges communities to reject violence and to report crime to the South African Police Service, placing their trust in the criminal justice system to address wrongdoing lawfully," the NPA said.

Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Barry Madolo, warned communities not to take the law into their own hands but to report it to the relevant authorities.

"When people take the law into their own hands, they do not become heroes -- they become criminals. No suspicion of wrongdoing, no anger and no frustration with crime can ever justify the taking of a life.

"What occurred in Debenek was not justice; it was murder, followed by an attempt to obstruct the very system designed to protect communities," Madolo said.

Read the original article on SAnews.gov.za.