SAPS Condemns false reports on social media during recent violent riots

The management of the South African Police Service (SAPS) noticed with concern images of police members which were published on the Facebook page of the Daily Sun and other social media platforms without captions, purporting to portray SAPS members as being active participants in looting and other related forms of criminality during the recent violent riots in Tshwane.

The SAPS strongly condemns this type of reporting and the distribution of these images as they were selectively published to tarnish the image of the SAPS and is totally misleading and untrue. The members were in no way involved in any act of criminality and were retrieving stolen goods from looters utilizing minimum force.

Publishing the pictures without caption subject to public opinion and unsubstantiated assumptions and portrays a negative image of the SAPS which distracts the public of our main duty which is to serve and to protect the people of South Africa.