joburg cbd

Photo: Twitter / David Thembe

Joburg CBD: Police take the fight back to Hillbrow as raids continue

The police returned to Joburg CBD to carry out raids, six days after the illegal traders’ resistance.

joburg cbd

Photo: Twitter / David Thembe

Almost a week after the Joburg CBD erupted into chaos, the police have cranked up the pressure and continued with raids, confiscating goods from illegal traders.

On Wednesday, the sight of police trucks and teams of officers created tension in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, an area notorious for its illicit drug activity.

What caused the riots in Joburg CBD?

It has also been identified as a hotspot for illegal trade, where counterfeit goods make their way past our borders and into the hands of foreign nationals who, in turn, retail these knock-offs for cheap.

Six days ago, social media was rocked by video footage of a riot that took place after police attempted to raid illegal traders’ stores. Scores of rioters believed to be foreign nationals took up resistance against the police and pelted their trucks with rocks.

Fearing a situation that could turn deadly if they responded offensively, the police were forced to withdraw from the situation. While a number of officers sustained injuries from the violent encounter, they were able to make key arrests.

Police fight back in second Joburg CBD raid

On their return to raid illegal traders, the police made a note that, with the help of CCTV footage and other videos that surfaced on social media, they have targeted a number of suspects that were directly involved in last week’s riots.

Police spokesperson, Mathapelo Peters, stated in an interview with SABC News, that they were building prosecutable cases against all of those implicated in the violent riots.

“We want to be sure that when we do arrest people that the cases are prosecutable and that they will be able to face the might of the law…Our picture analysts are going through those pictures to make sure that when we do arrests, we arrest the people responsible for that violence,” Peters said.

What’s the latest on the raids?

At the time this article was published, police officials were still on the ground, confiscating counterfeit goods with no resistance from illegal traders.