Acting National Police Commissioner Puleng Dimpane has warned communities against violence, intimidation and attacks on property following unrest linked to concerns over asylum seekers and the implications of a recent Constitutional Court ruling.
Dimpane said this when addressing the media at Soweto in Gauteng on Thursday 8 October.
Dimpane said ten vehicles had been vandalised and 14 others torched in Durban, while three foreign nationals were arrested in KwaZulu-Natal and three people were detained in Gauteng in connection with criminality during the unrest.
She said the concerns around asylum seekers must be addressed through constitutional and legal processes, rather than violence.
“We cannot resolve or solve these issues through violence,” she said.
“Violence, intimidation, the destruction of property and attacks on other people will not resolve the challenges before us. Instead, such actions create further hardships for communities and place lives at risk.”
Dimpane further said provincial commissioners were meeting to assess the situation and coordinate the police response across affected areas and other provinces.
She said the National Commissioner for Crime Intelligence Dumisane Khumalo has also been instructed to work around the clock to identify and arrest those responsible for the violence.
“Our public order police deployment has been reinforced in areas where there are protest gatherings or indications of possible unrest,” she said.
She said the situation remained under control and was being closely monitored, with the SANDF also mobilising resources and capabilities to respond to incidents of violence or criminality.
Dimpane warned that they would not tolerate attacks on people or the destruction of property, regardless of whether those involved were South African citizens or foreign nationals.
“Whether you are a South African citizen or a foreign national, if you commit a criminal offence, you will be dealt with in accordance with the law,” she said.
She also appealed to communities not to take the law into their own hands and urged those with grievances to use appropriate legal and constitutional channels.
“To those who intend to use violence, intimidation or destruction as a means of advancing their cause, our message is very clear: do not mistake restraint for weakness,” she said.
Dimpane also said peaceful protests would be allowed, provided they remained within the law.
She also called on community leaders, traditional leaders, faith-based organisations, civil society and other community members to help calm tensions and prevent further violence.
“We cannot resolve our differences through violence. We must resolve them through dialogue, lawful processes, and we must respect the Constitution,” she said.
She warned that anyone who broke the law would face the consequences through the criminal justice system.
“South Africa must not be allowed to descend into violence,” she said.
