Police inaction leads to mob justice: experts

He confirmed that no arrests had been made in connection with Nthangeni’s murder.

The latest crime statistics released by the SA Police Service (SAPS) paint a grim picture. In the nine months to December 2024, more than 1,000 people were killed in mob justice incidents, while another 781 were left severely injured after being assaulted by angry crowds. 

“We are concerned with the increase in vigilante attacks. It means we need to create more awareness about the consequences of vigilantism,” said national police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe, adding that police needed to intensify their efforts in addressing vigilantism.

Mathe said the reason people were resorting to mob justice was because “people are not well-versed on the results of vigilantism. We communicate so much, telling people not to do crime but these incidents still happen.”

However, experts said people who take part in mob justice attacks know well that they are committing a crime but use a different moral frame to justify their actions.

University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Prof Nirmala Gopal, an academic leader in the discipline of criminology and forensics, said they view themselves as champions of justice or community protectors and the anonymity of being in a mob further emboldens them.

“This self-justification stems from a belief that they are acting to defend society and its victims. The phenomenon typically unfolds in the context of heightened emotional states, coupled with the anonymity afforded by mob dynamics, which emboldens individuals to act without fear of identification or repercussions,” she said.

Ngwane, said perpetrators of mob justice rationalise their actions by telling themselves that their actions are justified due to rampant crime in their area and the perceived lack of consequences for criminals.