Police are condemning all acts of violence directed at the businesses and the looting of shops described as those of foreign nationals by criminal opportunists in areas that include Ekurhuleni, Tshwane and Johannesburg Central.
Irresponsible use and abuse of social media is also having a way of fuelling these acts of violence and instability to advance the criminal acts. The Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela has instructed all commanders to take strong action against the perpetrators as this state affairs cannot be allowed to continue.
The violence that started last week in Tshwane has seen a number of shops being burned and several others looted. It has also escalated in Johannesburg on Sunday and other areas in the early hours of this morning. However, several arrests have also been affected for serious crimes including public violence, malicious damage to property and theft.
A total of seventy (70) people have been arrested since Sunday. The arrests were affected in various areas that includes:
20 in Rosettenville, 35 in Malvern, 10 in Tembisa, 26 in Jeppe and 9 in Germiston
Police are also investigating a case of murder following the fatal shooting of a member of the public. He was allegedly shot by a group of people who had gathered in Hillbrow. At this stage police are still interviewing several people to establish the motive for the shooting. No one has been arrested for the murder.
Several operations are still continuing in Tembisa and more people are expected to be arrested. Police are also appealing to any person affected by violence to contact police Emergency number 10111.
South Africa Today – South Africa News
