Mob assault victim fatalities admitted at a forensic pathology laboratory in a South African rural province

Authors

  • M Bopape School of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, and Mpumalanga Department of Health, Nelspruit, South Africa
  • T A Mamashela Limpopo Department of Health, Polokwane, South Africa
  • M J Selatole Limpopo Department of Health, Polokwane, South Africa
  • S A Mabunda School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa; Global Centre for Human Resources for Health Intelligence, Walter Sisulu University, East London, South Africa; School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; and George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9458-3742

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7196/10.7196/SAMJ.2025.v115i11b.3380

Keywords:

Community assault; mob justice; interpersonal violence; South Africa

Abstract

Background. Community-based assault is a phenomenon carried out worldwide, which contributes to the rise in unnatural deaths due to violence. In South Africa (SA), this is often referred to as mob assault or vigilantism. There is a paucity of literature on the prevalence and epidemiology of this phenomenon in SA.

Objectives. To profile fatal mob assault victim cases admitted at the Polokwane Forensic Pathology Services Laboratory, Limpopo Province. For this to be achieved, the study determined the demographic characteristics of the victims, examined the circumstances of the incidents and noted whether or not victims were hospitalised prior to death.

Method. A quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a sample of 141 community assault death victims that were selected using consecutive sampling of such victims admitted to Polokwane Forensic Pathology Services Laboratory over 5 years (2018 - 2022).

Results. The study revealed that black adult males residing in townships suffered fatal mob assault. All victims were black men, mostly South African, from the Polokwane subdistrict (75.9%), with a median age of 28 years, and only 33.3% were hospitalised before their death. Within the Polokwane subdistrict, the majority of cases (59.6%) were from the two largest townships (Seshego (31.9%) and Mankweng (27.7%)). A higher proportion of victims (39.7%) had lower levels of education and were mostly unemployed (76.6%). The main causes of death included multiple injuries, head injuries and severe soft-tissue injuries.

Conclusion. This study highlighted the complex dynamics of community assault and its impact on public health. The high incidence of multiple injuries and elevated fatality rates prior to hospital admission can be primarily attributed to the violent conduct of communities and mobs. These groups often engage in aggressive confrontations that escalate quickly, leading to severe injuries and fatalities. Addressing community assaults requires a multifaceted approach, including community engagement, conflict resolution programmes and preventive measures aimed at reducing the occurrence of mob assaults.

Author Biographies

  • M Bopape , School of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, and Mpumalanga Department of Health, Nelspruit, South Africa
    1. Department of Forensics & Legal Medicine, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa
    2. Mpumalanga Forensic Pathology Services, Department of Health, Mpumalanga province, South Africa
  • T A Mamashela, Limpopo Department of Health, Polokwane, South Africa
    1. Polokwane Forensic Pathology Services, Department of Health, Limpopo province, South Africa
  • M J Selatole, Limpopo Department of Health, Polokwane, South Africa
    1. Polokwane Forensic Pathology Services, Department of Health, Limpopo province, South Africa
  • S A Mabunda, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa; Global Centre for Human Resources for Health Intelligence, Walter Sisulu University, East London, South Africa; School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; and George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
    1. Public Health, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa
    2. Global Centre for Human Resources for Health Intelligence, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa
    3. School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
    4. George Institute for Global Health and Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

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Published

2025-12-19

Issue

Celebrating 40 years of the WSU Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

Section

Research

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Copyright (c) 2025 M Bopape , T A Mamashela, M J Selatole, S A Mabunda

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How to Cite

1.
Bopape M, Mamashela TA, Selatole MJ, Mabunda SA. Mob assault victim fatalities admitted at a forensic pathology laboratory in a South African rural province. S Afr Med J [Internet]. 2025 Dec. 19 [cited 2025 Dec. 28];115(11b):e3380. Available from: https://samajournals.co.za/index.php/samj/article/view/3380

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