By Doreen Mokgolo
A suspected gang leader and drug dealer became the victim of mob justice at the hands of community members in Barcelona in Daveyton.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, Clifford Makola was hunted down, assaulted, and hacked with pangas before he was set alight.
It is alleged he was identified as being behind a series of break-ins at foreign-owned spaza shops in the area, as well as operating in the local drug trade.
After a series of business robberies last week, the community decided that enough was enough.
A resident who asked not to be named for his safety said Makola was killed because the law failed to imprison him.
“He called himself ‘Phunyuka Bamphethe’ for continuously evading the law. He was arrested and released after a few days and he would boast about this to those who cared to listen.”
“He threatened foreign national tuckshop owners to pay for protection from criminals and those who refused had their shops broken into.”
Etwatwa station commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Molatelo Maoto, confirmed that they are investigating a case of murder.
“No one has been arrested in connection with the murder and investigations are still underway.”
“Preliminary reports are that Makola had been terrorising the community and they decided to take the law into their own hands.”
Maoto urged the community to refrain from this kind of action and to report all criminal cases to the police.
Pictured above: Clifford Makola
Image source: Supplied
