Police action against hawkers investigated by IPID
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) is investigating the conduct of police officials who shot eight women participating in an illegal raid last week Monday.
MBOMBELA – The provincial spokesman for the South African Police Service (SAPS), Brig Leonard Hlathi, confirmed that a case was opened against the police.
Nelspruit Post enquired about how many police officers are currently under investigation, to which Hlathi replied, “Let’s leave everything with IPID”. Eight counts of attempted murder are currently being investigated by IPID.
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Moeti Mmusi, provincial spokesman for the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison (DCSSL), stated that a group of people, who alleged to be street traders, searched for people they believed to be dealing in drugs.
An unknown male, whom they accused of dealing in drugs, was rescued by the police before they could assault him, according to Mmusi.
Mmusi condemned the illegal raids conducted as well as any attacks on foreign nationals in the strongest sense.
“While communities’ participation is essential in preventing and solving crime, any acts of vigilantism must be condemned, as mob justice has devastating consequences. No person should take the law into their own hands, as it is a criminal offence,”
he said.
Joseph Ngala, spokesman for the City of Mbombela Local Municipality (CMLM), explained that the City’s by-law enforcers did not participate or assist in the raids, as it was not organised by them, but by the informal traders themselves.
“The City will therefore not comment on this incident, as it is a police matter. Those that got injured apparently opened cases against the police.”
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“The police must therefore conduct further investigations into the matter,” Ngala declared.
The MEC for DCSSL, Gabisile Shabalala encouraged the community to fight crime by reporting any suspicious activities to the police. She stated that instances of vigilantism will not be tolerated.
“Communities must allow the rule of law to prevail and not take matters into their own hands, because they will be arrested.”
Shabalala urged communities to work with the police and expose any corrupt and unscrupulous members of the SAPS, who are not doing their work properly, for appropriate steps to be taken against them.
