An alleged skelm from Manenberg was moered to death and set on fire for allegedly trying to rob someone near Nyanga Junction.
A police source says the 25-year-old man was attacked near the railway line and his face set on fire on Wednesday night.
Officers were called to the scene shortly after 8pm where they found the man’s beaten body next to the train tracks.
“He has injuries all over. They kicked him in his chops,” says the source.
“They did not put a tyre around his neck or necklace him, but you could see they set his face on fire. The rest of his body was not burnt.”
Police spokesperson, Captain FC van Wyk, confirmed the incident and says police are now investigating a murder case.
Manenberg Community Police Forum (CPF) chairperson, Kader Jacobs, says the victim was a well-known tikkop who robbed people to feed his habit.
“He was a skurkie and a tikkop. He was always involved in petty theft to feed his habit and what had happened in this case is that he had crossed the railway line from Manenberg to Gugulethu to go steal. But when he tried to rob that person, Gugulethu residents recognised him and they beat him up.”
He adds the CPF does not condone people taking the law into their own hands.
“But the people are frustrated. This needs to be a wake-up call to authorities that if they are aware of known criminals they must take action. The criminals must also know that if the police do not get them, the community will,” he says.