By Delisa Thwala
This week the country through a social media video witnessed a man being harassed and beaten up by angry members of the community in Mbikwakhe Matsapha.
Before that, a man was stoned and beaten to death by a mob in Matsapha after he allegedly killed a 2-year-old girl who was a neighbour’s daughter.
Men were beaten up and stoned almost to death in Maliyaduma last month, after being suspected to be involved in cow smuggling.
Mob justice, or vigilante violence, has become an increasingly common and controversial phenomenon in Eswatini. Frustrated by perceived inaction by the authorities, many citizens have taken the law into their own hands, often with tragic consequences.
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With mounting cases of mob justice, the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) have been forced to reckon with the reality of citizens taking matters into their own hands.
In 2022 Chief Justice (CJ) Bheki Maphalala said cases of rape, mob justice, murder, rape, and those under SODV are now on the rise.
He said the lynching of alleged thieves, rapists, and murderers by vigilante mobs. These incidents often involve brutal attacks, sometimes resulting in death.
Meanwhile Destruction of property, such as burning down suspected drug houses or attacking businesses owned by alleged criminals.
The formation of community security groups, which sometimes engage in mob justice against perceived criminals. A senior Police Officer said during mob justice in Eswatini, several events typically unfold.
“A crime or alleged crime is committed, and word spreads quickly in the community, often through word-of-mouth or social media,’’ said the officer.
He further said the community mobilizes, often with large numbers of people gathering in the streets to demand justice. If the alleged perpetrator is identified, they may be physically attacked, beaten, or even killed by the mob.
In some cases, the mob may also target the homes or businesses of the alleged perpetrator, destroying property or stealing valuables.
Worth mentioning is that, since time immemorial there have been numerous incidents of mob justice in Eswatini, many of which have resulted in tragic consequences.
In 2016, a man accused of stealing cattle was beaten to death by a mob in the Lubombo region. The victim was later found innocent.
In 2018, a woman accused of witchcraft was burned to death by a mob in the Shiselweni region. The mob had gathered to accuse her of causing the death of a local child.
In August 2022, a man accused of killing a 2-year-old girl in the Matsapha community was beaten to death by a mob.
The man, a neighbour of the victim’s family, had allegedly abducted the child and strangled her.
When the community learned of the child’s death, a mob formed and brutally assaulted the man before setting his body on fire.
The response from the Matsapha community was mixed. Many people expressed anger and frustration over the brutal murder of the 2-year-old girl, with some defending the mob’s actions as a necessary form of justice.
However, there was also widespread condemnation of the incident, with some community members calling for an end to mob justice and urging the community to allow the authorities to oversee such cases.
The Eswatini government has also condemned the incident and called for calm in the community.
The government has taken steps to address mob justice, including implementing public awareness campaigns and introducing harsher penalties for those who engage in vigilante violence.
In Eswatini, there are people who support mob justice, typically because they believe it provides a sense of justice and closure that the formal justice system sometimes fails to deliver.
“When the police fail to arrest the criminals or even bring them to justice, we have to take matters into our own hands to protect ourselves and our community.
Mob justice is not ideal, but it is sometimes the only option we have,” said Sipho Mamba, a community member in Manzini.
“We do not trust the police to protect us. They are too slow to act and sometimes corrupt. When we take matters into our own hands, we know that justice will be served.
Mob justice may be brutal, but it is the only way to show criminals that they cannot get away with their crimes,’’ said Ntombi Dlamini, a resident of Matsapha.
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Noteworthy is that while these voices of people who support mob justice, it is important to note that mob justice is illegal and should not be condoned or promoted.
“Mob justice is our way of showing that we will not tolerate crime in our community. If the police will not do their job, then we will take matters into our own hands.
We understand that it’s not a perfect solution, but it’s better than doing nothing and letting the criminals run wild,” said Mandla Khumalo, a community leader in Mbabane.
Meanwhile, Eswatini Police Mouthpiece Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said the Police Force has consistently condemned mob justice and warned the public against taking the law into their own hands.
“Mob justice is a dangerous and illegal practice that often leads to more violence and disorder. We urge the public to trust in our ability to enforce the law and bring criminals to justice through the proper channels,” said Vilakati.
She further said, the police will not tolerate mob justice or vigilante violence. Offering a different perspective another community member said:
“Lawlessness seems to be overtaking Eswatini as cases of mob justice are reported almost daily. Solving theft with a more serious crime of murder does not make sense and will not get this country anywhere.’’
Another said: “It is unfortunate that people have reached a level where they have lost trust in the police who are now reluctant to respond to calls in fear for their lives and the vicious cycle goes on.”
In addition, the community member said while citizen arrest is allowed, people need to be educated on how to go about it, otherwise dealing with criminals in a violent manner, driven by this prevalent anger will result in more unnecessary deaths and arrests for murder leaving the perpetrators of mob justice worse off.
