Provincial Police Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has condemned the burning and stoning of two police vehicles at Bottlebrush in Chatsworth, south of Durban, in the early hours of Thursday morning, April 4.
Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi said the destruction of police resources is a direct attack on the authority of the state.
“Police officers who are members of the eThekwini District Task Team were tracing wanted murder suspects when the Public Order Policing officers were called to provide back up in the operation,” said the commissioner.
Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi said when police officers were tracking and tracing the suspects on foot, a group of residents torched one police vehicle and stoned another.
“Community members always complain about the lack of police resources, which is a genuine concern, however, there are those who seek to cripple the police service so that they can continue with their reign of terror. Burning and stoning police vehicles is a serious crime and the team is already on the ground to find those behind this heinous act,” said Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi.
Despite the destruction of the state resources the police did not stop tracing the wanted suspects.
Two suspects were arrested and were found in possession of two firearms and an air rifle.
The arrested suspects will appear in court soon, said Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi.
