Residents torch police vehicle ‘to ashes’ amid search for murder suspects in KZN

Police vehicles were stoned and torched at Bottlerush in Chatsworth in the early hours of Thursday morning, a day after police in KwaZulu-Natal killed nine suspects during a shootout.

According to police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, police officers who are members of the eThekwini District Task Team were tracing wanted murder suspects when the public order policing officers were called to provide back up in the operation.

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“When police officers were tracking and tracing the suspects on foot, a group of counter-productive residents torched a police vehicle to ashes and stoned another,” said Netshiunda.

The destruction of the state resources, however, did not stop the police from tracing the wanted suspects.

The two suspects were arrested and found in possession of two firearms and an air rifle.

Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi condemned the destruction of police resources, saying it was a direct attack on the authority of the state and that no stone will be left unturned in pursuit of those responsible.

“Community members always complain about the lack of police resources, which is a genuine concern, but there are those who seek to cripple the police service so that they can continue with their reign of terror.

“Burning and stoning police vehicles is a serious crime and the team is already on the ground to find those behind this heinous act,” said Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi.

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This comes amid debates on whether police are using excessive force when dealing with suspects after 14 were killed in a shootout on Wednesday.

In one incident, nine suspects were killed in KwaZulu-Natal. They were wanted for a number of crimes including rape and house robbery.

In the second incident, five alleged cash-in-transit (CIT) robbers were killed in an incident in Witbank.

According to police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo, the incident happened after police received information that the suspects were driving to Mpumalanga and that there was an attempted heist in Witbank.

“They followed the suspects to a safe house at Tasbet Park. While approaching the house, the suspects, who were already dispersing, driving in a Toyota Quantum, saw the police and started shooting,” he said.

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Five of them died on the scene, while eight others were taken into custody. About nine were able to escape.