Lynchings, a symptom of state failure

Friday, April 13, 2007

MAPUTO: In the climactic scene of what has been the most popular play showing in Maputo, the citizens of a crime-ridden suburb, fed up by police indifference, take matters into their own hands. They hang a tyre from the neck of a notorious neighbourhood criminal, pour petrol on his head, and burn him alive. At a sold-out performance last week in the Mozambican capital, the audience roared its approval.

"T3" ended its five-month run at the 'Teatro Gungu' at the weekend, having pulled in some 50,000 theatre-goers. The play owes its success to its ripped-from-the-headlines theme: Public lynchings swept through the outer suburbs of Maputo in 2006 and early this year.

Already have an active account? Log in here.

Or Sign up and get unlimited access to premium articles.

Athlone receives P70,000 medical boost

staff writer | 9 h ago

PDC suspension sparks political fallout

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | 10 h ago

Serviced plot shortage halts allocations in Tlokweng

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | 10 h ago

I was just helping a friend – Moremong on Sefalana robbery

Larona Makhaiza | 10 h ago

Elderly man meets tragic end in freak accident

Pini Bothoko | 11 h ago

Mogoditshane police probe armed robbery

Pini Bothoko | 11 h ago

Missing Robelela woman found dead

Pini Bothoko | 11 h ago

Mob justice claims another life

Pini Bothoko | 11 h ago

Mob justice isn't just

A young man suspected of breaking into a car was seized by residents, severely assaulted, and died in the hospital within an hour. We unreservedly condemn this mob justice. It is not a solution to crime, but a criminal offence that turns citizens into murderers.Residents are understandably angry about theft. The person who raised the alarm at 4am acted lawfully, and the neighbours who rushed to help showed community spirit. But what followed was...

The Monitor Editor | 09 June 2026

About us

Mmegi is the leading independent source of breaking news, latest news, current
affairs, Politics, Business, Sport, debates, analysis, and entertainment news in Botswana.

Explore

More

Lynchings, a symptom of state failure