KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, has welcomed the conviction of two looters who were arrested in Durban North during the civil unrest in July last year.
Two police officers from Greenwood Park SAPS stood their ground in the face of a looting mob and arrested the men, Sihle Jali (41), and Sifiso Ngcobo (29), as they attempted to flee from the scene of the crime.
The police officers, who had responded to reports that a large mob was looting a service station in Inanda Road, pounced on the pair after the rioters pelted the officers with rocks, damaging their police vehicle in the process. However, the two determined police officers stood their ground and arrested the men as the crowd began to flee from the scene.
Jali and Ngcobo were detained at the Greenwood Park police station where they were charged with public violence. They subsequently made several appearances in the Durban Magistrate’s Court where they were last week convicted and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for public violence.
Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi commended the officers for their bravery.
“We wish to commend the arresting officers, the investigating officer, as well as the prosecutor for ensuring that the perpetrators received a fitting sentence for their actions. This sentence sends a clear message that while the wheels of justice may sometimes turn slowly, criminals cannot escape their day of reckoning,” Mkhwanazi said.
