Police in KwaZulu-Natal are on the search for those who torched a cop van in Bottlebrush in Chatsworth, south of Durban, on Thursday morning. A second vehicle was stoned.
Officers were in pursuit of wanted murder suspects when they were attacked.
Provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has condemned the incident.
"No stone will be left unturned in pursuit of those responsible," he said.
Mkhwanazi said community members often complain about the lack of police resources, which is a genuine concern.
"But there are those who seek to cripple the police service so that they can continue with their reign of terror. Burning and stoning police vehicles is a serious crime and the team is already on the ground to find those behind this heinous act," the commissioner said.
KZN police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda said members of the eThekwini District Task Team were in the area, tracing wanted murder suspects when Public Order Policing officers were called to provide back-up in the operation.
"When police officers were tracking and tracing the suspects on foot, a group of counter-productive residents torched a police vehicle to ashes and stoned another. Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi said that the destruction of police resources is a direct attack to the authority of the State," Netshiunda said.
He added that the incident failed to deter the police, who managed to arrest two suspects and recover firearms and an air rifle.
Netshiunda said the men are expected to appear in court soon.
IOL News