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Police vehicle allegedly set on fire by customers at an illegal liquor store in West Rand.
- An unlicensed liquor store owner has been arrested for violating the Disaster Management Act.
- His arrest follows an attack on two police officers, allegedly by customers who were drinking at the establishment.
- During the attack, a policeman was injured and a police vehicle was set on fire.
Police arrested the owner of an unlicensed liquor store in Muldersdrift, West Rand, after two officers were allegedly attacked and their vehicle set on fire by customers of the establishment.
The incident took place in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The two officers, stationed at the Muldersdrift Police Station, were allegedly attacked by customers around 02:30 when they responded to a disturbance complaint at the informal Video settlement.
In a statement, police spokesman Brigadier Mathapelo Peters said that when officers were attacked by an aggressive group of people, they sought refuge in a nearby hut. However, the attackers continued to throw objects at them and allegedly threatened to kill them.
“The two members, one of them injured, managed to escape from the hut and realized that the group had allegedly set the state vehicle on fire. The Public Order Police arrived and managed to quell the situation,” Peters said.
“The injured member was rushed to a nearby hospital in Krugersdorp, where he was treated and released. No member of the public was injured.
“A separate file has been opened for investigation in relation to the attack on members of the police and intentional damage to property (state vehicle fire).”
Police vehicle allegedly set on fire by customers at an illegal liquor store in West Rand.
Following the incident, the owner of the establishment was arrested and the alcohol confiscated. The liquor’s value has yet to be determined, police said.
“He will be charged with violating the Gauteng Liquor Board legislation for trading liquor without a license.
“The suspect will also be charged with contravening the Disaster Management Act and the Covid-19 level 1 lockdown regulations that prohibit the sale of alcohol after 11pm.”
Gauteng’s Acting Police Commissioner Major General Tommy Mthombeni condemned the incident. He said it was indicative of the extent to which some members of the public will go to undermine the authority of the state.
“Our members who were attacked by this group of lawless people, who are said to have been very aggressive, should be congratulated for sacrificing their safety and ensuring that no member of the public is injured,” Mthombeni said.
“They had the option of using their service firearms, but instead used their discretion not to use those firearms, avoiding a possible bloodbath.
“Our employee health and wellness teams must continue to give priority attention to these members to ensure their emotional and psychological recovery.”
The liquor store owner is expected to appear in court soon.
