Article by: Dumisane Dube
Acting Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said one of the 12 alleged instigators of the violent looting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng has been arrested.
Briefing the media in Pretoria earlier on Thursday, Ntshavheni said the police are tracing the other 11 suspects.
She said police had arrested 725 people in Gauteng and 1 478 in KwaZulu-Natal since the outbreak of the violent protests
More than 2200 arrests have made across both provinces.
“The question around the 12 alleged instigators we want to report that one is already in custody and the SAPS tracking team has increased the surveillance of the remaining 11,” says Minister Ntshavheni.
The minister said the situation in KwaZulu-Natal remains volatile but moving towards stability.
“39 incidences have been reported and an additional 392 arrests have been made which makes the accumulative of arrests 1 478. Reported deaths that have been linked to the violence are accumulatively 91 in KZN” said Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.
According to the Minister 26 people had died in Gauteng, while 91 lives were lost in the carnage in KwaZulu-Natal.
Police are believed to have surveillance of the other 11 culprits.
Minister Ntshavheni warned the public not to take the law into their own hands.
“Racial tension incidents in Phoenix, north of Durban, was a concern for government and was addressed with community leaders,” she added.
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