EASTERN Cape police shot and killed two people who allegedly stole goods from a truck in Bizana today.
Police spokeswoman Brigadier Marinda Mills claimed the two deceased - a 19-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman - were part of a group of looters police were trying to bring under control. About 10 people were injured during the commotion and transported to hospital.
Mills said the Independent Police Investigation Directorate (Ipid) were now investigating the matter, which happened at 10am.
“It is alleged a truck, transporting a load of household goods like sugar and rice, was driving on a steep inclined part of the road next to Plangweni Location in Bizana when it experienced problems and got stuck,” said Mills.
“The driver of the truck ‘rolled’ the truck backwards in order to remove it from blocking traffic on the R61 main road. This caused some of the goods to fall off the back of truck and community members came and helped themselves. Police were called to intervene.”
Mills said the situation became volatile when a manager of the truck company arrived on the scene with a bakkie to load the goods.
“This seemed to have agitated members of the community and those standing close by became angry because they did not want the goods to be loaded back onto the truck,” said Mills.
It is alleged that the manager was grabbed by angry residents and pulled in the direction of the location.
“Police intervened and freed the manager from the angry group. The group became increasingly more aggressive and started pelting the manager and the police members with stones whilst advancing again towards the direction of the truck and its load,” said Mills.
She said police opened fire, killing two people in the process
Police kill two in EC town
Police spokeswoman Brigadier Marinda Mills claimed the two deceased - a 19-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman - were part of a group of looters police were trying to bring under control. About 10 people were injured during the commotion and transported to hospital.
Mills said the Independent Police Investigation Directorate (Ipid) were now investigating the matter, which happened at 10am.
“It is alleged a truck, transporting a load of household goods like sugar and rice, was driving on a steep inclined part of the road next to Plangweni Location in Bizana when it experienced problems and got stuck,” said Mills.
“The driver of the truck ‘rolled’ the truck backwards in order to remove it from blocking traffic on the R61 main road. This caused some of the goods to fall off the back of truck and community members came and helped themselves. Police were called to intervene.”
Mills said the situation became volatile when a manager of the truck company arrived on the scene with a bakkie to load the goods.
“This seemed to have agitated members of the community and those standing close by became angry because they did not want the goods to be loaded back onto the truck,” said Mills.
It is alleged that the manager was grabbed by angry residents and pulled in the direction of the location.
“Police intervened and freed the manager from the angry group. The group became increasingly more aggressive and started pelting the manager and the police members with stones whilst advancing again towards the direction of the truck and its load,” said Mills.
She said police opened fire, killing two people in the process
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