POTCHEFSTROOM – The North West Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, condemned in the strongest possible terms an attack on police in Jouberton on Wednesday, 10 August 2022, in Extension 1, Jouberton.

The police were informed of a missing 10-year-old girl late at night on Tuesday evening, 09 August 2022. A missing persons enquiry was opened and police did preliminary investigations. The following morning at about 10:00 community members mobilised and started to search for the missing girl.

After 16:00, the girl was found inside a shack, close to her house, in the company of a male who was allegedly assaulted by members of the community. The police were summoned and on arrival at the scene, they rescued the man who was subsequently admitted to hospital. According to information, the members of the community then stabbed and damaged the tyres of the police Nissan bakkie and torched it. A police officer was injured after he was hit by a stone.

Meanwhile, the 10-year-old girl was taken together with her mother to Thuthuzela Care Centre for a medical examination.

At this stage, a case docket has been opened for malicious damage to property and is under investigation.

The Provincial Commissioner expressed his displeasure of this incident and urged the community to work together with the police in the fight against crime through recognised structures such as Community Police Forum (CPF). He reiterated that the attack on police is an attack against the State and that the damage caused will have a negative impact on service delivery.

Source: South African Police Service