Mob kills and sets alight an alleged robber in Soweto

Police have condemned an apparent mob justice incident, which saw a man being killed after community members apprehended him on suspicion of being behind a business robbery.

Gauteng police spokesperson Brig Mathapelo Peters said a tuck shop owner in Mapetla, Soweto, was accosted by two unknown men. He was robbed at gunpoint of his cellphone, liquor and an undisclosed amount of cash on Wednesday evening.

The suspects shot the businessman several times. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead.

According to police, community members chased after the suspects, apprehended one and killed him by setting him alight.

Police recovered an unlicensed firearm with no serial number, a cellphone and a wallet allegedly belonging to the tuck shop owner. The second suspect is still at large.

“The public is warned to desist from taking the law into their hands. No amount of anger can justify any act of criminality,” Peters said.