Police arrested 73 people who protested outside the Masemola police station in Limpopo, South Africa after demanding the release of seven men arrested for killing an elderly woman. Police inspector Maboke Lediga said the men had been involved in mob justice in which the woman was burned to death. Residents were outraged over the death of Isaac Ranabe, whom they believed had been killed by his ex-wife.
"Following Ranabe’s funeral, the residents marched to Ranabe’s ex-wife’s house and found her elderly mother there. Believing that the mother was protecting her daughter by not revealing her whereabouts, the mob doused her with gasoline and burned her alive,” said Lediga. “A case of murder was opened and we arrested seven men whom we believe were directly involved in the woman’s death.”
The following day, a crowd of around 800 residents marched to the police station to demand the release of the seven men. “We tried negotiating with them and they would not listen. After we refused to release the seven men, the crowd started getting violent, and pelted us with stones, damaging some of our cars.” According to Lediga, 73 people were eventually arrested, and will be brought before the Nebo Magistrate court on charges of public violence.
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