Durban – The police and army are set to face off over a violent altercation at the Mozambican border which saw troops allegedly opening fire on cops and vehicle tracking officers while they were chasing stolen cars on Monday night.An Altech Netstar vehicle was riddled with bullets and two men and two police officers were disarmed and detained by soldiers. They were later released.
The shooting is said to have taken place a stone’s throw from the border on the South African side.
Cars stolen in South Africa are regularly trafficked into Mozambique over the porous perimeter and sold on the black market.
Protocol
While police are probing a case of attempted murder opened against the soldiers, the SANDF have accused the police officers of “not following protocol”.
While the troops managed to effectively stop the police and tracking officers, two stolen cars which were hijacked in Mbazwana did cross the border without incident. according to a statement released by the SANDF.
SANDF spokesperson Brigadier-General Xolani Mabanga said the soldiers had heard the stolen vehicles cross the border, but could not act until they had already crossed the borderline.
“The SANDF members heard sound of a truck followed by a bakkie speeding towards the border and subsequently crossing the borderline to Mozambique. They then opened fire on the bakkie and the occupants ran away, abandoning it in Mozambique,” he said.
“Whilst on the scene, few minutes later, SANDF members noticed two vehicles moving at high speed approaching their position from the northern part of KZN. In an attempt to stop the vehicle, SANDF members used a torch signalling the vehicles to stop.
Opened fire
“But the vehicles did not stop, forcing the SANDF members to open fire on them, and they eventually stopped due to a deflated tyre. The vehicles were later identified to be belonging to Netstar and SAPS.
“No signal or form of identity on the vehicles was visible to the SANDF members at the time of shooting. Both vehicles were stopped and the occupants of the two vehicles were apprehended by the Military Police.
“Both SAPS and Netstar members did not follow due protocol of informing the SANDF commander that they were chasing a suspected vehicle. Nobody was harmed or injured in the incident and a Board of Inquiry has been convened to determine the circumstances surrounding this incident,” Mabanga said.
(Anton Koen via Facebook)
(Anton Koen via Facebook)
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