
The bodies of five men, suspected of being involved in robbery and rape, were found hacked to death at two different places in Inanda early Friday morning.
According to Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), the discovery was made when a bus passenger traveling along Curnick Ndlovu Highway (M25) called the RUSA Phoenix Operations Centre at around 6:40 AM. The caller reported seeing three lifeless bodies in a field near Inanda Newtown Comprehensive High School but could not give more details.
Reaction Officers and RUSA Paramedics were immediately dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival, they found the bodies of three men lying in the middle of the field. The men had suffered brutal injuries, including partial amputation of one man’s right hand and a crushed skull on the other.
Amid the discovery, officers were directed to a second scene approximately 150 meters away, across a stream. They found the bodies of two more men, both had also been hacked and beaten to death.
Preliminary investigations and interviews with community members reportedly revealed that the five men were allegedly known to the community as robbers, drug users, and repeat offenders who had been terrorising the community. They were also accused of raping multiple female scholars.
Residents allegedly tracked the men down to the grounds on Thursday and carried out what appears to be an action of mob justice.