Two men were stoned and beaten to death in separate incidents in what police believe were attacks by residents.
|||Two men were stoned and beaten to death in separate incidents at the weekend in what police believe were attacks by residents.
Police are investigating two cases of murder and have yet to identify the victims.
The bodies of both men were found on Sunday morning.
At around 7am, the first man, believed to be in his 30s, was found in a field in Philippi East.
Provincial police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Andrè Traut said he was thought to have been stoned to death.
He said no arrests had been made.
At 7.30am, the second man, also in his 30s, was discovered in Weltevreden Road near Sweet Home Farm informal settlement in Philippi.
Traut said the man had suffered severe head injuries and it was believed that he had been badly beaten in the attack.
A male suspect in his 30s was arrested in connection with the killing of the second man.
He will appear in court once charged, said Traut.
He said the police believed the men were victims of “mob justice” after being accused by residents of committing crimes.
“We have reason to believe both cases were the work of vigilantism and are not ruling out the possibility.
“We believe the men were suspected of committing crimes.”
janis.kinnear@inl.co.za - Cape Argus