The South African Policing Union (Sapu) has condemned the attack on members of the South African Police Service and Johannesburg Metro police.
This is after the police, as well as the Metro, were attacked by some shop owners in the Johannesburg CBD allegedly for confiscating their goods deemed illegal.
The incident happened on 9 June and in the video posted on Twitter by Yusuf Abramjee, shop owners are seen violently pelting stones at the police vehicles.
This act has been highly condemned by many on the social media platform, as well as the police union.
The union has blamed this incident on ‘foreign’ nationals, saying this act is totally unacceptable and calling on witnesses to identify the culprits.
Unrest in Hillbrow JHB yesterday after police confiscated counterfeit goods. @AsktheChiefJMPD @MichaelSun168 @SAPoliceService @GP_CommSafety #CrimeWatch pic.twitter.com/hlVmuTyt0l
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) June 10, 2019
“Sapu would like to condemn with the strongest terms possible the barbaric attack on members of the SAPS and Metro police on Sunday 9 June allegedly by a group of foreign nationals in the Hillbrow area,” said general secretary Tumelo Mogodiseng.
“Firstly, we want to make it categorically clear that we do not condemn this unacceptable behaviour because it is alleged that it involves foreign nationals. We do not promote nor condone xenophobic tendencies. We fall short of words to express our dismay and anger at this incident.”
The union calls on law-abiding citizens to assist the police in identifying the culprits so that they are brought to book, added Mogodiseng.
SAPU commends the police officers who proudly restrained themselves against that extreme provocation.
Mogodiseng said they will challenge human rights activists and other civil society formations to come out and condemn the incident.
Responding to the video posted by Abramjee @Abramjee, users responded with anguish to the violence shown against the men and women in blue, as well as to the Metro police.
Stan Itshegetseng @Kgosie tweeted: If this is how foreign nationals, who we have given our hospitality to and embraced in our midst, are behaving against our law enforcement officials, then I’m afraid they may unleash upon themselves the wrath of our people. No one must cry foul.
Kgothatso @Kay_Gee22 said: Can we send the soldiers here? Come on, what kind of country are we, where police are attacked by foreign civilians. This is a threat to national security.
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