Eighty-five people from Gamorona village near Vryburg in the North West appeared in court on Monday after being arrested over the weekend for public violence and assault, police said.
Captain Keaobaka Moses said residents of the village called a meeting with a chief on Saturday, accusing a Moshi family of stocktheft.
The residents attacked the family, burning their houses to the ground. No one was injured.
When police tried to intervene, the first three policemen on the scene were assaulted and disarmed. Members of the community rescued them from the mob and they called in reinforcements from Vryburg and surrounding police stations.
Police restored peace and calm and the three injured policemen were taken to a local clinic where they received treatment for minor injuries.
On Sunday police arrested some of the 85 people, while others handed themselves over. The policemen’s firearms were recovered.
The arrested people were warned to appear in the Mothibistat court on Monday on charges of public violence and assault.
The case was postponed to August 24 and the people were released on a warning. Their next appearance will be at Bothitong Magistrate’s Court.
The provincial minister for safety and liaison in the North West, Maureen Modiselle, condemned the violence at the village in the ”strongest possible terms” on Monday.
She urged members of the community not to take the law into their own hands but to report criminal activities to the police. — Sapa