POTCHEFSTROOM: The North West Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena condemned in the strongest possible terms an incident in which members of the community in Boikhutso Location outside Lichtenburg, took the law into their own hands after a police vehicle allegedly hit an eight-year-old boy today.  

It is alleged that a K9 Unit vehicle hit the child who ran from the yard to cross Kudu Street at approximately 13:00. The child was later certified dead on the scene.  Subsequent to the incident, members of the community set alight the police vehicle.  They also burnt another police vehicle which was used by first responders as well as an ambulance which was summoned to the scene. Furthermore, a local municipality traffic vehicle was pelted with stones while goods were looted from one of the local tuckshops.   

Following the incident, three police officials and two paramedics were taken to the hospital for medical examination.  

Earlier on, there was an accident in which a girl child (age not yet confirmed) died on the scene after being hit by an Isuzu bakkie at about 10:20 on the Ottosdal-Lichtenburg road near Blydeville.  As a result, the police are investigating two separate cases of culpable homicide. In addition, the police are investigating cases of public violence and malicious damage to property.  

The Provincial Commissioner conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased children. He also expressed his disapproval of the conduct of members of the community and urged them to refrain from taking the law into their own hands as that is pure criminality. Moreover, he cautioned that acts of criminality cannot be condoned and that the police will not hesitate to effectively deal with those who commit crime. Source: South African Police Service