/ 28 July 1999

NINE VIGILANTES IN NPROV COURT

AN off-duty policeman and eight other men have appeared in court on charges of murder, assault and kidnapping after they rampaged through a Northern Province township and assaulted people they accused of perpetrating crimes in the area. Police on Wednesday said a youth identified as George Mabotja, (19) died in a local hospital after the assault. It’s not clear yet whether the nine are members of the Northern Province vigilante group, Mapogo-a-Mathamaga. The vigilantes have been remanded in custody until their next court appearance on August 4.