The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) on Saturday condemned reckless driving as well as mob justice after a driver was stabbed to death for slamming into a group of pedestrians, killing six, at Taylors Halt in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.
READ: Driver stabbed to death after bakkie slams into pedestrians, killing six
"We urge communities to report crime to authorities in the criminal justice system instead of taking the law into their own hands," said SANCO spokesperson, Jabu Mahlangu.
Mahlangu said that barbaric, horrendous acts that undermine the rule of law, will only lead to lawlessness as well as a vicious cycle of violence.
He appealed to motorists to drive with extreme caution in order to reduce the carnage on public roads.
Police spokesperson, Captain Nqobile Gwala, confirmed the accident. She said the accident occurred when the driver of a Nissan bakkie had allegedly attempted to overtake another vehicle, but swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle.
“It is then when he lost control and crashed into a group of pedestrians, resulting in five fatalities” she said.
Gwala said police could not confirm that the driver had been stabbed to death, as she was still waiting for the report from the detective handling the case.
Earlier ER24 spokesperson Werner Vermaak reported that the driver of the bakkie had been found with fatal injuries.
“It is understood from bystanders that members of the community allegedly stabbed the driver to death shortly after the incident,” he said.
ER24 reported that six people had died at the scene, while both Gwala and KZN EMS spokesperson Robert MacKenzie, confirmed that only five fatalies had been recorded.
Gwala said a case of culpable homicide was being investigated.