/ 12 October 2017

6 police officers assaulted, gunshots fired during Vanderbijlpark raid

Zuma’s supporters have questioned the credibility of the commission following the critical public statements made by some if its members.
Mbalula: "What we are doing as the ANC is trying to win the trust of the people, because we do not want coalitions, they work for democracy but not for governance." (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Vanderbijlpark police are investigating a case of murder, attempted murder and assault after a group of foreign nationals attacked them while they were raiding a suspected drug den.

Gauteng police spokesperson Kay Makhubela said on Tuesday the police went to a house where drugs were allegedly being sold.

When the police arrived, they were confronted by a group of men who attacked them.

“The police fired shots to try and defuse the situation but six police officers were already injured after being assaulted by the group of men.

“The police withdrew from the house and then suddenly the men took out a dead person from the house and placed it on the bonnet of the police vehicle.”

Makhubela said while no one was arrested, a case of murder, attempted murder and assault was being investigated by the Vanderbijlpark police station.

He said the police were still searching for the suspects who assaulted the police.

Video footage of the incident shows a group of men arguing with the police.

Some of the men are seen assaulting a police officer.

The men continue to attack the police officers, who at some stage were ready to draw their weapons, but did not.

“Who killed this guy?” one officer is heard asking.

Mbalula’s spokesperson Vuyo Mhaga said the polices’ K9 unit went to a well-known drug dealer’s house 70 Deforest Street at around 10:00.

Inside the house, Mhaga said the police found four occupants and one deceased, of Nigerian nationality.

“It is alleged that one Nigerian man came to the scene and started to attack the SAPS with broken bottles, resulting in six police officers from K9 unit being seriously injured.

“The injured police officers had to be taken to medi-clinic in Vereeniging for medical treatment.”

Mbalula said, “I am very proud of our police and it shows we are achieving our goals in having professionalised police service, but this does not mean our police are open to assaults and other threats on their lives.”

He said no amount of anger could justify the attack on police officers.

“Police officers represent the state. Undermining of police is equivalent to undermining the authority of the state, I am warning these thugs, to desist undermining our police.”

Mbalula said he expected the police to do everything in their power to stabilise the situation at Vanderbijlpark.

“I need not remind the occupants of the house that our country is still recovering from scars of xenophobic attacks, we expect everyone in our country to respect our laws, but above all respect our police, whose mandate is to ensure that everyone within the borders of South Africa is safe.

“South Africa is not a failed state, it’s a democratic country that has laws, and we expect everyone to respect the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Let’s all await the results of the post mortem, and anyone whose found guilty must face the mighty of the law,” Mbalula said. – News 24