The SAPS have issued a stern warning against persons taking the law into their own hands. This is following the necklacing of a 32 year-old man in Khayelitsha over the weekend. The man was out on bail, and was suspected of the theft of a cellphone.

The man was found in a field on Saturday morning. He was previously suspected of theft in other parts of Khayelitsha. Eyewitness News also reports that a 19 year-old man was also found in a field after being set alight.

Not a photo of the event

Necklacing, a method of capital punishment that arose in the days of apartheid, involves placing a tyre around the victim’s neck. The tyre is then filled with petrol and set alight. According to Wikipedia, it can take up to 20 minutes for a person to die, suffering horrible burns in the process.

A member of the community had the following to say about the incident:

The dog is dead. We will walk freely with our cellphones now.

Police have issued a strong warning against vigilantes, saying that they will hunt down and arrest anyone that takes the law into their own hands.

[Source: News24; EWN]