By Selloane Ntshonyane
- Police say 120 marches took place nationwide on 30 June, with 108 staying peaceful and only 12 turning violent overall.
- Gauteng police arrested 82 people for looting and immigration offences, including 13 Malawian nationals held over illegal entry or smuggling.
A man died during looting in Alexandra on 30 June. In Hillbrow, two men were shot in an attempted murder.
Police revealed both incidents at a briefing on the marches that swept the country that day. Deputy National Commissioner for Policing Tebello Mosikili, who chairs the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure, led the briefing. SAPS national spokesperson Athlenda Mathe also took part.
“More than 900 people were arrested during the operations. These arrests were linked to different crimes including public violence, looting, and other criminal activity that happened during and around the marches,” she said.
Of the 120 marches recorded, 108 stayed peaceful. Twelve turned violent and needed police to step in. Police also recorded more than 300 crowd management incidents linked to the day.
Some of the arrests were tied to immigration offences. People were charged under the Immigration Act for being in the country illegally, or for harbouring undocumented immigrants.
In Gauteng, 82 people were arrested, mostly for looting and immigration matters. Thirteen of them were Malawian nationals. Some were held for being in the country illegally. Others face charges of human smuggling.
The South African National Defence Force helped police in some areas, including Hillbrow. Soldiers were deployed there under Operation Prosper, which will continue until March next year.
Police said they worked with metro police, private security and community policing forums to keep order through the day. SAPS remains the main body responsible for policing the country.
Mosikili said police will keep watching the situation, with more marches expected in the coming months.
Pictured above: Police on high alert as sporadic protests continue.
Image source: SAPS
