Home | News | RESIDENTS MARCH OVER SUSPECTED RITUAL KILLINGS

RESIDENTS MARCH OVER SUSPECTED RITUAL KILLINGS

Font size: Decrease font Enlarge font

MAFUTSENI – A group of troubled and fed up residents of Mafutseni braved the bone-chilling morning weather and marched to the police station to voice their concerns.


Information gathered from some of the community members, who were found gathered at the Mafutseni police station protesting against the suspected ritual killings in the area, was that initially, the march was organised to support the mob of community members, who attacked one of the suspected ritual killers over the weekend as they were told to report to the station.


The community members marched for about eight kilometres, from their respective homes to the police station yesterday morning.
However, when they arrived at the police station, they were told that the police were still investigating the suspected ritual killings and the mob justice attack on one of the suspected residents.
Thereafter, they then used the opportunity to voice out their concerns to the police and Mafutseni Station Commander Superintendent Steven Dlamini was present to record their concerns.


They said their main concern was that in the past, the community had a problem with stock theft but now it was ‘cannibalism’. “We are now living with ‘cannibals’,” submitted one of the residents.
They asked the police to remove the ‘cannibals’ from the community because they were not supposed to live with human beings. “Sitawujubana ngemazembe (we will hack each other with axes) if we continue to see these ‘cannibals’ roaming around the community,” another community member said.


The community members said they were aware that taking the law into their own hands was an offence, but mentioned that they were willing to do so for the safety of their families, especially their children.
Again, they called for a custodial sentence once the suspects were arrested by saying courts should not give them an option of a fine because they would pay it with blood money.


However, the station commander said some of the concerns they had raised were out of their hands. He made an example by saying in the face of the law, anyone has a right to be granted bail and sometimes an option of a fine. The commander politely condemned the community members for taking the law into their own hands by saying they could be arrested too.


He urged them to try their best not to be misguided by their emotions and be patient with the police as they were working tirelessly on the matter.
He said just like they did with the people who were stealing their livestock, especially cattle, as the police they would eventually put the suspected ritual killers behind bars.
He clarified that it was a matter of time before they concluded their investigations and started effecting arrest(s).

Comments (0 posted):

Post your comment comment

Please enter the code you see in the image: