There was drama in Dulibadzimu suburb in Beit Bridge on Sunday, when a local man who had tried to steal a four-year-old toddler was stripped naked before he was beaten by an angry mob.

According to witnesses, the incident occurred at around 10:00. The man was reportedly travelling in an unidentified vehicle, driven by an accomplice. “The man alightedfrom a car and walked down the road. He spotted the toddler playing outside the gate of the family house. He then took the child and headed towards a car," said a woman, who only identified herself as Siphiwe.

The man ran out of luck when the child’s mother managed to spot him and she started to shout, prompting neighbours and passersby to intervene. The suspect was apprehended before a group of women stripped him naked and pounced on him.

The drama, which lasted for about 15 minutes, drew the attention of pupils from neighbouring Vhembe High School, who also joined in beating up the suspect.

“I was coming from a friend’s house when I saw an angry mob shouting from a distance. When I got closer, I realised that there was a naked man being beaten up. The man appeared helpless, shouting for help, while the mob, mostly women who were also hurling crude insults, continued to beat him, using clenched fists and sticks,” said Mr Ishmael Munyai of Dulibadzimu, who also witnessed the spectacle.

The driver of the vehicle, who is also believed to be linked to the attempted kidnap, sped away from the scene as soon as the drama started and police have since launched a manhunt.

The suspect, who is believed to be in his mid-30s, was later escorted to the local police station and arrested.