Police officers have been attacked by angered community members in Greenside outside of Polokwane, Limpopo.
The SA Police Service confirmed that police officers had been assaulted and vehicles pelted with rocks after community members attempted to free undocumented foreign nationals from police vans on Saturday.
Spokesperson Motlafela Mojapelo explained that one undocumented foreigner had been shot and injured after reportedly threatening to stab a cop.
“The Acting Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Major General Jaan Scheepers, has strongly condemned the incident that took place at Greenside extension 44 where the police came under attack by community members who managed to release undocumented foreign nationals from the police vehicle. Cases of assault on police, malicious damage to property, and other crime have been opened.”
Officers had been attempting to arrest illegal foreign nationals. Image: SAPS Source: Twitter The officers had been undergoing Safer Festive Season operations when they had arrested four foreign nationals for illegally being in SA:
“During the arrest, one of them allegedly took out a knife and advanced towards the police members, allegedly threatening to stab them but was shot and injured.” The situation escalated when the brother of the injured man called the community to action:
“The brother of the injured foreign national allegedly incited community members in the area to attack the police who then started throwing stones and in the process, injuring three police members and damaging their three vehicles. Community members then released all arrested illegal immigrants from police vehicles.”
The injured members received medical treatment and were later discharged. A later investigation resulted in the re-arrest of the injured man who is currently under police guard. Scheepers commented that.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the conduct that was manifested by the said community members. The police will not tolerate any form of lawlessness and any attack on them will be responded to appropriately.”
The police have opened cases of illegal immigration, assault on police, escaping from custody, malicious damage to property and incitement to commit crime.
Earlier, Briefly reported that Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi is adamant that travellers using fake Covid-19 certificates will come short. The politician vowed that the full might of the law would be levied against offenders after 17 fake certificates were discovered.
Motsoaledi was carrying out a compliance visit at a mobile testing site located at the Beitbridge border post on Saturday. Commenting on a person who had handed in a fake certificate in order to gain passage across the border, the Minister was adamant that he should be returned, slamming the perpetrator as a ‘fraudster’:
“You can’t just come with your fraudulent documents. The person who wants to enter your country with a fraudulent document is undermining your sovereignty, is undermining the order in your country, is undermining al the laws.”
-Briefly
