The family of a young man who was fatally assaulted by an angry mob said they were unaware of his criminal activities. Mxolisi Mzila (24) from KwaMnyandu in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu Natal, was beaten to death by an angry mob after being accused of terrorising and robbing the community on Monday.

SEVERELY BEATEN

Mxolisi and his three friends were accused of stealing a cellphone and sneakers over the weekend in their neighbourhood. It is alleged that the angry mob picked Mxolisi at home where he was with his siblings, Sabelo and Minenhle. "Since it was cold and raining on Monday, we were all seated indoors. Our mother was sleeping in her room when a group of about 50 people came into our home and demanded to take a walk with Mxolisi so that they could have a chat with him about a robbery that happened over the weekend," Sabelo told ZiMoja. He said the whole family was shocked that Mxolisi was involved in criminal activities because at home he was a different person, polite and respectful. "The community members told us to stay behind because this was a matter that involved him and his friends. We did exactly that and I went to wake my mother up and told her that there was a group of people that took Mxolisi away," he said.

FAMILY CANNOT AFFORD TO BURY HIM

Sabelo said that the family received a message saying Mxolisi and his friends were being assaulted by the mob and he immediately called the police who promised to come to the scene as soon as possible but never did. "We called the police and they told us to wait outside the gate. We waited for three hours and they never arrived. I then decided to go to the scene. I met one of my neighbours carrying Mxolisi in a wheelbarrow, he was half naked and injured," said. Sabelo, adding that they took Mxolisi to a nearby clinic where he died in his arms. "Now that things are like this, we don’t even know how will we bury him since we are all unemployed here at home. We rely on my mother’s salary from her Community Work Programme. It’s not enough as she earns only R800 a month," he said. KZN SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nqobile Gwala confirmed the incident. "A case of murder is investigated by Plessislaer SAPS after a 22-year-old man was assaulted to death. It is alleged that on 31 October 2023, the victim and another male were assaulted by members of the community. The circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated," she said.