Term ‘mob justice’ is a misnomer

The mob attack and the torching of the homes of those implicated in the murder of little Bontle Mashiyane and other children in the alleged muthi murders in villages near Hazyview, Mpumalanga, was predictable.

Three houses, including the house of a sangoma who allegedly ordered the harvesting of body parts for muthi-making purposes, were torched on Monday night.

This publication followed the story of six-year-old Bontle and refused to make of her just another number to add to the murder statistics produced on an industrial scale in this country with no apparent end in sight.

We don’t condone what the justifiably angry villagers of Mganduzweni did in the attack that made late night news headlines, but it would be foolhardy not to acknowledge that the genesis of the arson attack was in the inexplicable decision by the powers that be to grant a convict parole despite his CV as an accomplished and callous killer and rapist.

Collen Hlongwane was granted parole despite having no identity documents that could make him traceable, a fact later unearthed by this newspaper. He found his way to little Bontle’s village where he befriended a woman police have since revealed has confessed to the murders of children for muthi. Today Bontle is dead.

Her blood drips from the hands of the actual killers as well the state, which has once again failed ordinary folk. Its failure is made manifest in the mob attack on the homes of those implicated and the assault of the sangoma allegedly involved in the murders.

Often the police, as the arm of the state responsible for law and order, fail in their task. The attacks were as predictable as the sun rising the next day, but yet were allowed to happen. We can only hope crucial evidence that might have linked the accused to the murder(s) to get justice for Bontle, was not destroyed.

There is little reason behind the actions of a mob and the sooner ordinary people understand that attacks such as those carried out on the homes on Monday often do more harm than good to causes such as the quest to get justice for Bontle. On top of that it is criminal. We therefore urge authorities to stamp out such activities before they become the norm.