Comissioner condems lawlessness at protests
The Provincial Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal, Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni, has given strict instructions to the Public Order Policing Unit to take a firm stance when dealing with protest action.
DAILY, SAPS officers are required to police a number of protest marches and picketing in KwaZulu-Natal.
According to provincial SAPS, this places a great strain on police resources and forces SAPS to remove police officers from Crime Prevention Operations to police these protest actions due to the lawlessness that prevails at some of them. While picketing individuals resort to blocking the roads with boulders, burning tyres and other objects.
Police said there have also been cases where picketers have stoned vehicles and assaulted innocent members of the community.
The Provincial Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal, Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni, has given strict instructions to the Public Order Policing Unit to take a firm stance when dealing with protest action.
If individuals commit crimes during protest actions they would be immediately arrested if possible. Investigative aids will be used to gather evidence during such protect activities to enable detectives to open cases and effect arrests at a later stage, should it not be possible to effect immediate arrests.
“While we respect an individual’s right to protest, we cannot condone the illegal activities that take place during such protest actions. Protesters should also not infringe on the rights of innocent people who are usually affected by protest action,” said Ngobeni.
