Residents torch and stone police vehicles

RESIDENTS from Bottlebrush in the Chatsworth area, south of Durban, torched and stoned police vehicles while officers were on foot in pursuit of suspects yesterday.

Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi condemned the incident that happened in the early hours of the morning.

According to provincial police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda, the police officers are members of the eThekwini District Task Team and they were tracing wanted murder suspects.

He said the Public Order Policing officers were called to provide back-up in the operation.

“When police officers were tracking and tracing the suspects on foot, a group of counter-productive residents torched a police vehicle to ashes and stoned another,” said Netshiunda.

Mkhwanazi said no stone would be left unturned in the pursuit of those responsible.

Netshiunda said the destruction of the state resources did not stop the police from tracing the wanted suspects.

“The two suspects were arrested and were found in possession of two firearms and an air rifle.”

Police said the arrested suspects would appear in court soon.

Meanwhile, Premier Nomusa DubeNcube and Transport, Community Safety and Liaison MEC Sipho Hlomuka, will be handing over essential tools of trade worth over R32million to community crime-fighting structures in Hoy Park, Durban, today.

The provincial government said the handover was part of its commitment to fighting the scourge of crime in the province and that these tools of trade would better equip the functioning of various voluntary community crime-fighting structures in KZN.

“The premier will hand over a fleet of 85 vehicles, equipment essential for patrols such as torches, uniforms and safety boots to augment the work done by these voluntary crime-fighting structures,” it said.