“DON’T hit me! Please call the cops!”
This was the plea of a man who was beaten up by angry residents on Monday night.
It happened after the man, in his 30s, was accused of robbing a woman in Mandela squatter camp in Uitenhage.
The residents beat the man with knobkerries and sticks and threw stones at him before he was rescued by cops.
Robbery victim Nonzukiso Mehlwana (30) told Daily Sun: “I was walking down the street and the next moment I saw the man flashing a knife at me. He grabbed my bag and ran away. Luckily, people who were sitting outside a shack saw the incident and came to my rescue.
“The thug was caught and beaten by the crowd. He confessed that he and his friends robbed people of their cellphones and sold them for drugs.”
Nkululeko April (22) said: “Last month I was also robbed of my Samsung tablet.”
Police spokeswoman Lieutenant Gerda Swart said: “The suspect was admitted to hospital with serious injuries. He will appear in court as soon as he is discharged.”
