WATCH: Cape cops have their hands full quelling incidents of looting across the city
|Published
Cape Town - Seventeen suspects were arrested as police in the Western Cape had their hands full quelling sporadic incidents of public violence and theft as stores and looting of delivery trucks continued on Wednesday.
Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said several arrests have been affected across a number of townships in the Cape Town metropole. A similar incident was also reported on the West Coast.
Potelwa said a supermarket on Halt Road was ambushed by a group of about 15 suspects who helped themselves to items valued at R3 000 in Elsies River. She said police responded promptly and arrested four suspects between the ages of 32 and 43 on charges of theft. An attempt to break into a closed butchery in the area was thwarted as police dispersed the crowd.
She said police officers conducting patrols in Delft South responded to another incident at 11:30 am where 50 suspects stormed a supermarket and made off with grocery items valued at R4 000.
“Police dispersed a large crowd that had gathered nearby. Meanwhile tracing operations are still underway to track the perpetrators,” Potelwa said.
Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA)
She said the incident in Delft was preceded by three other incidents on Tuesday in Keerboom Street and on Delft Main Road where shops were looted. Five suspects between the ages of 26 and 31 were arrested for theft.
She said that meanwhile in Samora Machel, Phillipi East, police prevented a group from looting a delivery truck after barricades were placed on the road on Wednesday at about 10:30. Suspects were dispersed by police and they ran into near Heinz Park.
Hundreds of people protested along the R300 in Cape Town on Wednesday - allegedly after attempting to loot a delivery truck. The road was closed in both directions as law enforcement officials battled to bring the protest under control. Video Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA)
“A move by the group to head towards the nearby Watergate Mall was also prevented. Public Order Police, Phillipi East, Samora Machel police and the City of Cape Town’s law enforcement officials responded to the incidents. Four suspects were arrested for public violence.”
Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA)
Potwelwa said on another incident police were pelted with stones by a group of between 300 and 400 residents from the Witteklip township on Wednesday.
“The group had earlier tried to storm a local spaza shop after they complained about not getting food parcels. The group also attempted to attack the house of a local councilor but police reacted timeously and prevented the incidents from occurring.”
She said four suspects were arrested and charged for public violence. Potelwa warned communities to respect the rule of law and refrain from engaging in unlawful conduct.
Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA
“Failure to act within the parameters of the law will leave the police with no option but to act decisively,” Potelwa said, police were keeping an eye on the situations around the province.
Mayor Dan Plato said while I fully understand the stresses and pressures many of our residents are facing as a result of the National Government Covid-19 lockdown, resorting to violence and breaking the law is never the answer.
Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA)
Plato said the SA police services, the City’s Metro Police and Law Enforcement are fully deployed and have already made a number of arrests. “They will continue to arrest any person contravening the lockdown regulations.”
Plato called on law-abiding residents to immediately report any person who is involved in the increasing incidents of lawlessness and looting taking place in some of our communities.
Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA)
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