Hijacking Kidnapping police

The National Task Team led a rescue operation on Monday. Photo: SAPS / Twitter

Police threatened by Kensington community as gang-related arrest foiled

A group of 30 Kensington community members pelted officers with stones as they tried to arrest a “known gangster” over the weekend.

Hijacking Kidnapping police

The National Task Team led a rescue operation on Monday. Photo: SAPS / Twitter

After members of the the Kensington community in the Western Cape allegedly helped a known gang member escape arrest, the province’s Minister for Safety and Security, Albert Fritz, has called for those fed up with gangsterism to assist police to bring the culprits to justice rather than get in their way. 

Reports suggest that over 30 members of the Kensington community in Cape Town pelted police with stones and threatened them as they tried to apprehend a suspect who was spotted during a patrol brandishing a firearm.

Kensington community ‘threatens police officers’  

The incident is understood to have taken place on Sunday 2 May, with South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk saying that a large group of community members “came out of their homes an threatened to shoot police members if the suspect was not released”. The suspect fled and is yet to be apprehended. 

“The community members started throwing stones at the SAPS members and vehicles, thereby aiding and abetting the gunmen to escape,” he said, adding that this isn’t the first time police have faced such a disturbing response from members of gang-ridden communities. 

“Incidents of violent crime in the area as well as attacks on police are becoming a common occurrence and that is of grave concern to the SAPS management. Community members are reminded to respect the rule of law.” 

Fritz ‘appalled’ at actions of community

Safety and Security Minister Fritz said that the incident is “appalling”, despite acknowledging that community members cannot be accused of helping the “known gangster” from Cape Town to escape. 

“I know that the Kensington community is fed-up with gangsterism and crime, and so I urge all those who have information on this escape to come forward. We must ensure that crime and gangsterism does not pay in the Western Cape,” he said. 

Fritz congratulated the SAPS members on their efforts nonetheless, saying that they are doing good work to bring violent criminals who threaten vulnerable communities to justice. 

“I would like to congratulate the SAPS for the proactive work in spotting and attempting to apprehend the suspect. I would also like to congratulate them for managing to confiscate the illegal firearm. But I must also say that I am absolutely appalled at the fact that some members of our communities have assisted this known criminal to escape the reach of the law. I urge all community members to work with SAPS to ensure that the law is upheld and to come forward with information that will assist the police to make further arrests.”