This after law enforcers came under fire over the death of an Alexandra man at his home on Good Friday, allegedly at the hands of the National Defence Force. 

During a ministerial media briefing on Thursday, Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa -Nqakula said the SANDF is saddened by the death of the 40-year-old Collin Khosa who was allegedly assaulted by soldiers, and that an investigation is underway. 

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, has meanwhile said they are extremely concerned about the role of security services during the lockdown and how law enforcers carry out their duties. She, in a statement, added that the intention is to ensure that there are consequences for those involved in misconduct. Joemat- Pettersson has further applauded officials who continue to act within the confines of the law and condemned the burning and vandalism of property, that has spiked in the past weeks targeting schools and businesses.

OFM News yesterday reported that the number of Free State schools that have been affected by the spate of burglaries and vandalism during the national lockdown, has risen to 16 in just two days.

Provincial Education spokesperson, Howard Ndaba, confirmed to OFM News' Cathy Dlodlo that the department will only be in a position to estimate the damage caused to these schools after the lockdown. He said these are costs that were not budgeted for and put an extra burden on the department’s limited financial resources and its budget to address infrastructure backlogs in the province.

Joemat-Pettersson has meanwhile called on law enforcers to fast-track investigations into these cases and bring those accountable to book.

OFM News