BY KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

The North West Acting Provincial Commissioner; Major General Jacob Tsumane condemned in the strongest possible terms the mob justice and damage to property incident that took place on Saturday at about 04:40pm at Ten Rooms Informal Settlement near Hartbeespoortdam.

This is after one police vehicle was burnt and the other pelted with stones. According to North West police spokesperson Col Sabata Mokgwabone, the police were allegedly attended to a complaint when they saw members of the community assaulting a man.  “The police allegedly tried to intervene by removing the man from enraged community.  The latter set alight the police vehicle, but the officials managed to rescue the severely assaulted man who was accused of being responsible for the crime in the area,” Mokgwabone said.

Mokgwabone said the community members also pelted the second police vehicle that came as a back-up with stones. “It is alleged that the community attempted to burn the car by throwing a burning tyre onto. However, the vehicle was not burnt but severe damages were experienced,” he said.

According to Mokgwabone, the injured man was given medical attention at the scene and no police official sustained any injury. “The man is currently admitted at the hospital due to severe injuries he sustained during the incident. No one has been arrested and investigation into the matter continues,” he said.

The North West Acting Provincial Commissioner; Major General Jacob Tsumane warned the community sternly that taking the law into one’s hands is unlawful and that will not be tolerated.  “The community must understand and accept that while we need their support, the rule of law must be obeyed. Damaging of properties is a criminal act and cannot be allowed. The members of the community often complain about the service they get from the police, and burning of police vehicles is more of denying innocent communities of their deserved service which is likely to be affected by resources that were deliberately damaged as it happened with these cars”, said Major General Jacob Tsumane.

-TDN

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