A total of 30 suspects have been detained since Thursday in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng for public violence, unlawful gatherings, obstruction and resisting arrest.
According to Maj Gen Nonkululeko Phokane, police spokesperson, 25 people have been arrested in KwaZulu-Natal and five in Gauteng. Some of the suspects are linked to threats to disrupt soccer matches that were scheduled to take place in Durban on Saturday.
Lt Gen Puleng Dimpane, acting national police commissioner, praised police officers and other law enforcement agencies for their efforts to maintain public order. She said the police will not allow threats, intimidation or unlawful conduct to endanger public safety. The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Natjoints) and provincial structures (Provjoints) are coordinating the response. The deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in KZN forms part of broader efforts to stabilise the situation.
Police say incidents in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Limpopo have also been handled through operational response. Dimpane urged communities to share information with police and to distinguish between peaceful protest and criminal conduct. She emphasised that the right to peaceful protest does not include public violence, looting, wilful damage to property or the obstruction of lawful activities.
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
