SAPS warn shoppers to be cautious on ‘Black Friday’

South African Police Service

SAPS warn shoppers to be cautious on ‘Black Friday’
SAPS warn shoppers to be cautious on 'Black Friday'. Photo: SAPS

The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma hereby issue a warning to shoppers to be cautious during the oncoming Black Friday on Friday, 23 November 2018.

Black Friday is a shopping day where retailers either big or small reduce their prices on merchandise, and offer a lot of special deals on services. Shoppers go in numbers for these bargains and deals in the run up to Christmas and New Year’s Day. Some of the retailers open as early as midnight and shoppers queue all night long waiting for the shops to open and as soon as the doors are opened, they start pushing and trampling each other trying to be the first inside the shop in order to grab that long wanted item.

In the process, a stampede is caused with the very real possibility of serious injury or even death to someone. Therefore, General Zuma urges shoppers to be patient and considerate of one another.

Shoppers are also advised to be vigilant and careful on that day as they are not the only ones excited about the sales, but opportunistic criminals who are looking to grab money and other valuables during the rush. They must be wary of their surroundings at all times as large crowds of people tend to draw criminal elements.

They must look out for individuals that may be following them from one point to the next. “What is also critical is that people must avoid carrying large sums of cash as criminals will be setting their sight on malls and shopping centres”, said General Zuma.

South Africa Today – South Africa News

SOURCESouth African Police Service