Mpumalanga Provincial Commissioner condemns the continuous torching of vehicles in Calcutta
The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has vehemently condemned the torching of cars in the Calcutta Policing area. The recent one being carried out on Wednesday 24 January.
On that Wednesday, four vehicles were reportedly set alight inside the victim’s yard at Oakley, Soweto Trust in Calcutta just after midnight.
According to information, the four cars, including a minibus as well as a Light Delivery Vehicle and two sedans were burnt during the time when the owner was asleep. It is said that there was a loud bang heard outside the man’s house, which woke him up. It is further indicated that, as he curiously observed, he realised that his vehicles were indeed on fire.
The victim also claims to have heard some gunshots next to the main gate of his house. Police were eventually alerted about the incident and upon arrival, they found some empty cartridges for a rifle at the sceneRecently, similar incidents were experienced in the same area of Calcutta whereby two mini busses were torched at two separate places around Calcutta.
One was set alight on 6 January whilst another was sadly reduced to ashes on 17 January. After the occurrence of these disturbing incidents, which are still being investigated, suspects thereof, are yet to be arrested and police urge anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of the perpetrators to call the Crime Stop number at 08600 10111 or send information via MYSAPSAPP.
All received information will be treated asconfidential and callers may opt to remain anonymous. It is against this backdrop that the Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela deemed it fit to appoint a team of investigators, in collaboration with other stakeholders to restore stability in that part of the province.
“We are on high alert and have heightened our visibility, monitoring the situation following these unusual events. We are also deeply concerned about these outrageous actions whereby people’s properties are just destroyed like that. We call for calm as well as for law and order to prevail whilst law enforcement agencies proceed to work together towards getting to the bottom of the challenge,” said the General.
