Six men accused of unleashing a brutal mob justice attack in Limpopo’s Mopani District will spend the rest of their lives behind bars, with police hailing the judgment as a warning against vigilante violence.
Maseabi Godfrey Senyolo (46), Thabiso Senyolo (39), Elmon Shai (32), Mmoye Freddy Senyolo (42), Isiah Melanzi (40) and Tjatji William Gafane (43) stood before the Polokwane High Court on Monday.
Sentencing for mob justice attack
Judge Maake Francis Kganyago handed down two life sentences each for the murders of Tantane Paulus Mangena and Tshepo Conrates Malatjie, alongside five years for kidnapping. The court further ruled all six unfit to possess firearms.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the convictions stem from an incident on 23 August 2023 in the Maake policing area. Mangena and Malatjie were dragged from their homes, tortured for hours and ultimately burnt alive after being accused of theft.
“The victims were beaten with hands, boots, firewood and stones. They were also forced to drink petrol before petrol was poured over their bodies and they were set alight,” said NPA spokesperson Mashudu Malabi.
Their remains were burnt beyond recognition.
Testimony
Witnesses testified that the accused, armed with knobkieries and other weapons, stormed the victims’ homes, accusing one of stealing a television set.
Mangena was forced into a vehicle before the group hunted down Malatjie and abducted him too. The assaults continued at Mokgoloboto Mountain in a bid to evade police intervention.
In aggravation of sentence, Advocate Lerato Mohlaka described the crimes as “barbaric, inhuman and among the most brutal atrocities committed against fellow human beings”.
No remorse
She stressed that the accused showed no remorse and offered no apology to the victims’ families.
Judge Kganyago, in delivering the sentence, condemned the killings as savage acts of torture and murder. He reminded the court that South Africa is not governed by “an eye for an eye” but by the rule of law, civility and compassion.
Warning
Director of Public Prosecutions in Limpopo, Advocate Ivy Thenga, warned that mob justice remains a deeply troubling trend.
“Communities are continuously warned against this unlawful practice, as taking a life regardless of allegations of theft constitutes a serious criminal offence that attracts severe sentences,” she said.
