The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Servive in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma is perturbed by an incident that took place at Mmametlhake High School, yesterday 07 March 2019, wherein police were viciously attacked at the school premises. The incident, captured on video which has gone viral, happened in full view of educators and learners.
Information at police disposal revealed that the police were dispatched to the school at Mmametlhake, near Pretoria, after receiving a complaint that learners were fighting. On their arrival, however, they discovered that in actual fact, a certain man was busy damaging windows of the school with bricks, an incident which terrified the educators and learners.
It was later brought to the attention of the police that the said man had come to the school demanding to see the principal, when told that it would not be feasible for him to see the principal at the time. He then reportedly went on the rampage destroying the windows of the school, hence police were called.
The same man can be seen on the video, directing his violent acts towards the police by throwing bricks at the marked police vehicle, upon their arrival. He, without doubt, had a clear intention to inflict deadly injuries to the female member who was a van crew. She had to dive trying to dodge the rain of bricks that the suspect hurled at them. The perpetrator somehow managed to open the door of the police van while it was still in motion. It was during that process that the member (female) fell out of the vehicle sustaining minor injuries.
Nothing could deter the suspect from continuing his inexplicably crazy actions as he was seen running after the police van, even though the members tried to avoid a direct confrontation with him. At this stage, the police had no other option but to use force by shooting at the raging man, in protecting everyone in the vicinity, himself included. Only then was he subdued and arrested. IPID has been informed about the incident and will conduct their own separate investigation.
The suspect is currently in hospital under police guard, facing an array of charges, inter alia, attacking (a) Police Officer(s) and malicious damage to property.
Just in Wednesday, 06 March 2019, a Police Officer was shot and injured while he and a colleague were responding to a hijacking complaint in Delmas. According to preliminary reports, the police saw a light apparently from a cellphone and thought it was the compliant. They then drove towards it, at which point they saw a truck which was opened at the back. Suddenly shots were fired from the truck to the advancing police vehicle, prompting the members to return fire, however, one of them was shot and injured in the process with the suspects fleeing the scene.
An appeal is made to anyone who may assist police trace the suspects to contact Captain Samson Mokomene at 072 421 9274 or the SAPS Crime Stop number, 08600 10111
General Zuma cautioned members of the community to refrain from senselessly and reckless circulation of the video for the sensitive material contained.
