Burnt body found after vigilante attack

The burnt body of a 20-year-old man was found in Nu 9 Motherwell early on Friday after a suspected mob-justice attack.

The body was discovered in bushes behind the Vukani shack area, 300m from the victim’s  home in Ngwevana Street.  

Police spokesperson captain Andre Beetge identified the victim as  Luzuko Simanga.

He said Simanga’s  body was found four hours after the vigilante attack and police were notified.

“A family member alleged that Luzuko was woken up at 3am by a person suspected to have been known by Luzuko. He then left [the house] with this person.

“The police suspect  that he was killed with his body set alight with burning tyres, after his attackers allegedly suspected him of theft of power cables,” Beetge said.

The Motherwell cluster commander, Major-General Dawie Rabie,  condemned the killing, adding that people who took part in such mob-justice attacks were killers themselves.

“Our community must refrain from taking the law into their own hands to commit assaults and murders on other persons or suspected criminals,” Rabie said.