Minister Plato: Khayelitsha Mob Justice Unacceptable

Media Statement by Dan Plato, Minister of Community Safety

Following the recent incidents of mob justice in Khayelitsha, I will be calling on the police to arrest any individuals identified as inciting violence and being the ringleaders of these vigilante attacks. Through camera footage and reports from residents, the police will identify the culprits and justice will be carried out. Only a court of law can determine a person's innocence and guilt and ensure that the application of the law is decided in a fair hearing.

I am deeply concerned about what appears to be a breakdown in community/police relations and will be raising this as a matter of urgency with the Provincial Police Commissioner, General Arno Lamoer, and will ask for a full report on the crime situation and policing in the area.

I will be calling a meeting with the local and proportional councillors across Khayelitsha to determine what has resulted in this extreme action and how a possible breakdown in relations was allowed to get this far.

Once I have received feedback from the councillors, I will have a meeting with the rest of the leadership and community structures in Khayelitsha to discuss the way forward and how to avoid any repeat of this kind of action that simply has no place in a democratic South Africa.

I recently handed out pamphlets in the area with safety information and contact details, and call on the residents to report any police misconduct or inefficiency to my department's 24/7 hotline on 021 483 4332.

Mob justice is simply unacceptable. We live in a democracy and there are proper channels to deal with crime. This is not the way to seek justice.