Three individuals have been apprehended following an incident where a mob set fire to a man believed to be responsible for the death of his 15-year-old pregnant girlfriend.
According to police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Amanda Funani, the man allegedly assaulted and killed the woman at his residence last month.
He purportedly then wrapped her body in a blanket and abandoned it in the shack.
The woman’s mother became concerned when her daughter failed to visit her as usual.
Aware of her daughter’s pregnancy, she decided to check on her. It was then that she made the horrifying discovery of her daughter’s lifeless body.
According to The Citizen, community members allegedly searched for the boyfriend and eventually located him working in the vicinity.
They escorted him back to his residence, where they purportedly subjected him to physical assault, poured paraffin over him, and set him on fire. He was swiftly transported to the hospital but unfortunately succumbed to his injuries.
Following several weeks of investigations, the police apprehended three suspects, aged between 22 and 40, last Friday.
Funani mentioned that additional arrests are probable in the ongoing investigation.
Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Sello Kwena urged communities to refrain from resorting to vigilante justice and instead rely on legal processes.
