Two Zimbabwean Citizens Among Victims Of A Vigilante Attack In South Africa

Two Zimbabwean citizens were among the victims of a vigilante attack in a crime-ridden township of Diepsloot, a suburb north of Johannesburg in South Africa.

Talent Moyo and his unidentified friend were on their way to a church service when they were murdered, according to Moyo’s family. Witnesses said the duo encountered a mob that believed they were criminals terrorising the area. The pair was bound, beaten, and burned to death while pleading for their lives. Moyo’s aunt shared the tragic details and mentioned plans to repatriate his body for burial in his rural hometown of Kezi. Moyo’s Aunt Mrs Sibonginkosi Banda said:

They encountered a mob that was meting justice on five suspected gang members that had been terrorizing the community. They were so much into church and from what we gather they were bound together with tyres and ropes, beaten and burnt to death while they pleaded for their lives.

According to Mrs. Banda, Talent Moyo’s father identified him by his clothes and belongings, which included church attire and bibles. Plans are being made to confirm his identity through DNA tests so his body can be repatriated for burial in his rural hometown of Kezi. Mrs. Banda said Moyo was a young man who had plans to get married in December. 

South Africa is facing a rising murder rate, particularly in ungoverned suburbs like Diepsloot. This town, located north of Johannesburg and home to over 350,000 people, suffers from high rates of killings and rape. Authorities have been criticised for neglecting these areas. Police have initiated a murder investigation after finding the charred bodies of seven young men. Two burned bodies were reported initially, followed by the discovery of five more bodies in a nearby district of Diepsloot.

Police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo told AFP that police condemn vigilantism and stress that taking the law into one’s own hands is a serious criminal offence. Masondo added:

Preliminary investigation suggests that in both incidents, the victims were assaulted and burned by the mob.

Diepsloot serves as a stark reminder of South Africa’s struggle with a high murder rate, averaging 68 murders per day in the second quarter of 2023.

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