Buyers of looted goods warned, ‘hands off’
“If you suspect that any individual or group is in possession and dealing with stolen goods, please contact our law enforcement teams.”
Consumers have been urged not to buy goods from the violent looting that plagued Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal last week.
Anyone buying such goods would be liable for arrest if found.
Security forces have embarked on recovery operations with the collaboration of citizens, to pounce on looters who ransacked businesses for goods.
The warning came as the national joint operational and intelligence structure (NatJoints) co-chaired by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), South African Police Service (SAPS) and the State Security Agency (SSA) welcomed the influx of calls and tip-offs received via police platforms in both KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng communities.
Colonel Brenda Muridili said they were able to recover volumes of suspected stolen property whose value is yet to be determined, through tip-offs and integrated security forces actions.
“By this Sunday morning, a total of 3 407 suspects had been arrested on various charges since the violence erupted over a week ago, with only one suspect granted bail, she said, adding that 1 122 were expected to appear in different courts in the two most affected provinces.”
Muridili said weekend integrated operations in Gauteng saw raids on a number of hostels where 14 suspects were arrested for being in possession of suspected looted property.
Among the goods recovered were bed mattresses, television sets, couches, fridges, sound systems, computer screens and laptops, steel frames, grocery and clothing items.
“Those who were not part of the looting spree but are buying stolen property from the looters will be arrested for being in possession of stolen property,” she warned.
Muridili said looters were called upon to voluntarily surrender looted property or face possible arrest and criminal records.
She said security forces had embarked on recovery operations with the collaboration of citizens who have gone out of their way, giving tip-offs to the police, and some cleaning up their streets and business premises that were hit by the looting in the past week.
Muridili said further that NatJoints called on people to refrain from inciting violence by creating and circulating inflammatory messages that sought to do nothing but elevate the levels of tension amongst communities.
“These messages instil fear in our communities and undermine the authority of the state.
“The intelligence co-ordinating community is also aware of more messages cropping up and circulating on various social media platforms, threatening to attack police stations and disarm law enforcement officers, attack courts of law and key infrastructures such as fuel pipelines and refineries, and more looting.”
She said the security forces had subsequently mobilised maximum resources to address these threats and heighten visibility.
“Measures have also been put in place to ensure stability and the protection and safety of those who are not involved in the unrest and wish to go on with their daily routine.”
Tshwane mayor Randall Williams said the city’s affected areas remained calm and stable following the violence and looting that occurred in the country.
He said Tshwane continued with the deployment of law enforcement teams, including the Tshwane metro police, SAPS and SANDF, throughout the weekend, to maintain law and order while ensuring the safety of all residents and keeping a close watch on volatile areas such as Mamelodi.
READ MORE: 383 nabbed over the weekend during police operations
“Throughout the weekend there were no reports of disruptions, criminality and looting. This is an indication that the security situation in Tshwane is stable with our law enforcement teams maintaining high visibility,” Williams said.
Williams said the TMPD teams had made over 100 arrests for public violence, theft and possession of stolen goods.
“We would like to call on our residents to assist. If you suspect that any individual or group is in possession and dealing with stolen goods, please contact our law enforcement teams.”
He said the TMPD 24-hour contact line was available for residents to contact on: 012 358 7095/7096.
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