Five suspects have been charged with malicious damage to property, common assault, and public violence after attacking police officers on Saturday morning. A brawl erupted at a graduation ceremony in Dennilton, Limpopo in South Africa, prompting police intervention.
As officers tried to calm the situation, the crowd’s hostility turned towards them. Police spokesman Colonel Malesela Ledwaba confirmed that two officers were assaulted and a police vehicle was damaged.
“Two police officers were assaulted, and a police Quantum was damaged after one community member hit it multiple times with a hard object,” Ledwaba said.
The cause of the violence remains unknown, but Limpopo police boss Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe condemned the attacks, labelling them as cowardly acts against the state and community.
“This cowardly act resulted in the injury of our police officers and damage to our resources. An attack on our police officers is an attack on the state and the community they serve.
“We will ensure that those responsible for this reprehensible act are swiftly brought to justice.” Hadebe said.
Backup units were called to disperse the crowd, but several assailants managed to flee. The suspects, aged between 32 and 74, are set to appear in Moutse Magistrate’s Court on Monday, July 15.
In separate incidents elsewhere in the province, five suspects were arrested for possession of unlicensed firearms, ammunition, and negligence.
Three suspects in Ga-Matlala were apprehended following a business robbery, while in Seshego, a 20-year-old and his aunt were arrested after six unlicensed firearms were found. The aunt, aged 44, previously owned a now-defunct security company. The suspects will appear in Ga-Matlala and Seshego Magistrate’s Court on Monday.