Last week, a 21-year-old man died in Nyanga township, a sprawling warren of shanties on the outskirts of the city, after he and a friend were strung up and beaten throughout the night for allegedly stealing a television set. In an incident shown on a TV documentary, a young woman enlisted members of a taxi association drivers and officials to punish her alleged rapists. She was the first to whip the men, tied naked to a pole.

Malila said: ``There are many incidents where people go to taxi associations. It can be for various things housebreaking, theft, rape, sometimes domestic affairs, civil matters as well''.

For about 50 rand (eightdollars), mainly to cover petrol costs, members of the taxi association will mete out the punishment the victim desires.

In the case of theft, for example, once the property is returned, the alleged criminal is given ``a very good hiding'' and sometimes handed over to the police, Malila said. ``(People) say police reaction time is too slow,'' he added.

People also believe criminals are too easily bailed by the courts, leaving them free to intimidate witnesses before their court hearing.

In another township, Guguletu, police are currently dealing with 15 criminal cases arising from mob justice, said Inspector Charles Kikudi. Incidents of ``jungle justice'' are not limited to Cape Town, but have surfaced periodically in various parts of the country for years.

Police say that ``jungle justice'' is so emotionally charged that an ``accused'' has no chance or proving his or her innocence. David Bruce from the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation said communities resort to vigilanteism becausethey have little faith in the criminal justice system. ``It is not the kind of thing that is strictly measurable, but there is no doubt that it is widely accepted by people as a way of dealing with criminals,'' he said. He added: ``In the past, the government has not provided black communities with effective policing... and there was widespread vigilanteism. To an extent, this is a continuation of a tradition in black communities when people had to instill their own law and order''.A writer to a Cape newspaper said: ``It is barbaric, but if that's the only solution to dealing with would-be criminals then beat the hell out of them''.