Acting Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says government has been decisive in condemning the killing of people in Phoenix, Durban last week.
Community forums in Phoenix formed groups to protect themselves against those looting and burning shops and malls in the province.
However, reports say many of the groups in Phoenix resorted to vigilante activities and at least 20 people who were allegedly trying to commit crimes including looting were killed.
Scores of bodies have yet to be identified at the local mortuary.
In the video below, acting minister in the presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni briefs the media on the latest:
The government has been criticised in some quarters for not coming out strongly enough against those who carried out the killings.
Ntshavheni was updating the media on the security situation in the country.
“Even when the situation was still tense, government condemned the attacks and vigilantism. Government urged communities that were protecting themselves to work with the community policing forums, the South African Police Service (SAPS). We encouraged our citizens not to take the law into their own hands but to allow the police to do their part,” says the minister.
“[Government’s condemnation ] was the harshest condemnation including the condemnation of stoking racial tensions in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. That is why we have deployed the Police Minister. It is not the first time he is going there. He has been there [in Phoenix] before to deal with the very tensions and the very issues that are there,” adds Ntshavheni .
Meanwhile, on Thursday, police conducted raids for goods that were stolen in last week’s looting incidents around Gauteng.
Police and military conduct raids in Sebokeng:
#sapsGP Members of the SAPS Sedibeng District and the SANDF embarked on an operation to recover goods that were looted from different shops. Several items have been recovered. #RejectAndReportStolenGoods #DontBuyStolenGoods #CrimeStop ML pic.twitter.com/n50v4YnFyx
— SA Police Service ?? (@SAPoliceService) July 22, 2021
#sapsMP An intelligence driven operation led to the arrest of a 36-year-old man who was found with suspected stolen building material at Tinkomeni area in Pienaar. #RejectAndReportStolenGoods MLhttps://t.co/cy1K5qHoLh pic.twitter.com/XlBsjttnBq
— SA Police Service ?? (@SAPoliceService) July 22, 2021
#sapsGP Law enforcement agencies raided Kwa-Thema Hostel today where they found more looted goods. #RejectAndReportStolenGoods #DontBuyStolenGoods #CrimeStop ML pic.twitter.com/8vze7RnCpi
— SA Police Service ?? (@SAPoliceService) July 21, 2021
