21 June 2025 – Chaos erupted in the Covid-19 informal settlement in Mfuleni, Cape Town, when a suspected robber met a gruesome end at the hands of angry residents. The dramatic incident unfolded in the early hours of Saturday morning, 21 June, after a group of alleged criminals attempted to rob homes in the area.
According to eyewitnesses, four men driving a Toyota Avanza reportedly descended on the informal settlement around 2am with the intention of robbing residents. However, the community fought back. While three of the suspects managed to escape into the darkness, the alleged driver of the vehicle was not as lucky. He was caught by residents, beaten, and then set alight in a brutal act of mob justice.
The Toyota Avanza believed to have been used by the suspects was also torched by the furious community. By the time the SunTeam arrived at the scene, the half-burnt body of the accused robber lay next to the smouldering vehicle, with dozens of shocked residents standing nearby.
One woman living in the area described waking up to screams and commotion outside her home in the early hours of the morning.
“I woke up to people shouting, but it was still dark outside so I couldn’t see clearly what was happening. From what I gathered, the man who was killed admitted during the assault that they came from Philippi to rob people here in Covid-19. The three others ran away and left him behind,” she said.
Residents say crime has spiralled out of control in the informal settlement, largely due to poor infrastructure. The lack of electricity and streetlights makes the area extremely dangerous at night, giving criminals an advantage to target homes, particularly those where vulnerable women and children live alone.
A resident told the SunTeam that house robberies and assaults have become a terrifying norm in recent months. Frustrated by what they see as a lack of action by authorities, some have resorted to taking the law into their own hands.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed the incident, saying Mfuleni police have opened a murder case.
“Police responded to the discovery of the body of an unknown man on an open field in the Covid-19 informal settlement at around 9.30am on Saturday, 21 June 2025. The victim, who had been burnt, was found lying on his stomach next to a burnt vehicle. Medical personnel declared him dead on the scene. The motive for the attack will form part of the police investigation. No arrests have been made yet,” said Twigg.
Police are urging anyone with information about the killing to contact CrimeStop on 08600 10111 or use the MySAPS app to submit anonymous tip-offs.
This incident follows a similarly violent episode in Langa just a day earlier, where two men were killed after allegedly robbing train commuters.
As communities grapple with rising crime, tensions in Cape Town’s informal settlements remain dangerously high.