Polokwane - Six men were in a serious condition in hospital after they were attacked by residents at Westenburg in Polokwane on Monday night, Limpopo police said.
Residents took to the streets at about 18:00 looking for "rapists and murderers" following a murder on Saturday night, said spokesperson Inspector Llisi Ngoepe.
"The men, believed to have been involved in the murder of a man in his 40s, were captured and assaulted. They were found lying on the street in a pool of blood and left for dead. Another was found lying in the bushes."
Mob justice
Ngoepe said a large contingent of police officers was sent to the area.
"We are tracing those involved. No arrests have been made."
Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha said some of the six had told paramedics they were Zimbabweans. They were beaten with blunt objects.
Ngoepe said police were treating it as a case of mob justice.
"We don't even know whether the injured are South Africa citizens because they were unconscious. We can't speculate that it was a xenophobic attack."
