Extra police have been deployed in Diepsloot, a township north of Johannesburg, South Africa, following a violent incident where a mob tied up and burned to death seven men accused of a crime wave. The bodies of the victims, all young men, were found charred in two separate incidents. Preliminary investigations suggest that the victims were assaulted and burned by the mob. The motive for the killings remains unconfirmed. Diepsloot has been plagued by high rates of killings and rape, leading community leaders to claim that the authorities have abandoned the area.
South Africa has been grappling with a steadily increasing murder rate, with an average of 68 murders per day in the second quarter of 2023, marking a nearly 20 percent increase compared to the same period in 2019. The police strongly condemn acts of vigilantism and the community taking the law into their own hands, as it constitutes a serious criminal offense. Protests were previously held in Diepsloot over charges made against three community leaders who led demonstrations in June.
The charges followed a series of murders and robberies, including the bombing of a petrol station.
