Polokwane – Local residents in Mapela, Limpopo, have beaten an alleged kidnapper to death, police said on Tuesday.
Lieutenant Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said a 34-year-old man was apparently kidnapped by four Bangladeshi nationals at the weekend.
They allegedly kept the man captive in a house in Kwakwalata village in Mapela.
Ngoepe said the men demanded ransom cash from the 34-year-old's family. He said details on the actual ransom amount were not immediately available.
“While keeping him in a certain house, he started to scream for help until the local community responded in large numbers,” Ngoepe said.
He said one of the men was caught and beaten to death by residents.
The other three men managed to escape and the victim was rescued unharmed.
A murder case against the group of residents and a kidnapping case against the Bangladeshi nationals had been opened.
No arrests had yet been made.