Durban High School Pupils Who Caught an Alleged Copper Cable Thief Were Fired at With Rubber Bullets, Tear Gas

• The Dumisani Makhaye High School are said to have been hit with rubber bullets and teargas after they apprehended a copper cable thief
• The police say they acted in this manner because the students were being violent, however, people on the scene say the cops did not want to arrest the perpetrator
• South Africans are displeased by the way the police acted toward the high school children and some people say it's a form of child abuse

DURBAN - More information into a copper theft incident at Dumsani Makhaye High School in Chatsworth, Durban has revealed that police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at school pupils that apprehended an alleged thief.

At least 27 high school kids had to be taken to the hospital after the altercation with the police, which has left many parents confused.

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According to The Witness, an unnamed member of the School Governing Body(SGB) said that pupils informed a teacher about apprehending a man that attempted to steal electric cables from the Durban school and that is when the police were called.

The police arrived on the school premises and stayed there for quite some time until a commotion broke out and someone closed the school gate. The police then fired rubber bullets and tear gas as result.

Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo, police spokesperson says the Chatsworth police had to fire rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the students because they were assaulting the alleged thief.

Mhlengeni Ngcongo, a PR councillor in the ward says frustration began when the police refused to arrest the suspect and that is what led the students to assault the man.

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The SGB member stated that the police could have first spoken to the teachers before resorting to firing rubber bullets and tear gas at everyone.

A video of the high school kids using water to wash out the tear gas from their eyes has been posted online. Some children can be heard coughing as a result of the police's actions.

A school pupil says frustration began when the police refused to arrest the suspect.

South Africans criticise the police for their conduct at Dumusani Makhaye High School

On social media, South Africans have shared their thoughts on how the police behaved at Dumisani Makhaye High School. Some people are not surprised that the police saved the alleged thief.

Here are some comments:

@ViweMancayi said:

"Welcome to the country where criminals are protected."

@MichuEmenalo said:

"This is why the SAPS is hiring at a higher NQF right now."

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@lady_wolfblood said:

"So wait the thief is rescued like a victim and not like the common criminal he is?"

@PVAPaint said:

"I can't remember the last time I called the police for help. Looking at this, I'd be the one who'd be arrested if not shot. Even my older brother who is a Warrant Officer for the SAPS I don't call him, bayafana bonke, useless."

@LoveSwaziland said:

"Clearly ordinary citizens just don’t believe the authorities are capable of doing anything about illegal and criminal behaviour in SA."

@Tiagodo07503495 said:

The police were angry that their pocket liner had been caught and was getting jungle justice."

@tm1KjToa4eF72kn said:

"They should arrest those policemen. Child abuse engaka hayi."

Dumisani Makhaye High School pupils attack alleged copper cable thief, KZN Education MEC commends act

Briefly News previously reported that a group of angry high school pupils from Dumisani Makhaye High School in Chatsworth, Durban in KwaZulu-Natal attacked a man whom they believed to be a copper cable thief on Wednesday.

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Police had to rescue the man after pupils beat him up in frustration when he attempted to steal electric cables from the school.

Thenjiswa Ngcobo, the police spokesperson, says upon arrival on the scene, the police found the students assaulting the man, believed to be in his 30s. He was then rushed to hospital by police, according to SABC News.

Source: Briefly News