Police get their hands full with Ratanda riot crimes

The police in Ratanda have warned residents to not take the law into their own hands as crimes have escalated since the protest started on Thursday, September 15.

Ratanda Police last night received a call about a truck that has been hijacked and vandalized at the R549 Vaaldam Road. This truck was discovered by the Ratanda Local Safety Forum who were patrolling the streets in the midst of riots.

The truck, belonging to AD transport, was stopped by protesters and had started looting the cargo. Two police vans were damaged by the looters who used rocks, prompting the officer s to respond with rubber bullets and teargas to chase the crowd away from the truck.

An undisclosed number of boxes containing tactical katana machele weapons (pangas), cellphone, bank cards were taken from the driver.

Later in the evening, police received numerous complaints of foreign of further looting at tuck shops owned by foreign nations.

“A case of public violence and damage of infrastructure was opened and investigations are underway,” said police spokesperson Sargent Moss Maluleke.

Police have also called on the community’s assistance in finding the looters and bringing them to justice.