Outrage as traders attack police in South Africa

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - South Africans expressed outrage Friday after traders attacked police officers who were confiscating counterfeit goods forcing them to retreat.

Parliament and the ruling African National Congress party (ANC) strongly condemned the incident calling it an insult to the state.

“Attacking officers of the law in downtown Johannesburg while they were busy with an operation targeting counterfeit goods must not be tolerated,” said Parliament's Police Portfolio Committee Chairperson Tina Joemat-Pettersson.

Street vendors and shopkeepers, said to be mainly foreign nationals, threw stones and bottles at police officers on Thursday while they were confiscating counterfeit goods from shops and street stalls in the city center.

Police were outnumbered during the incident and were forced to tactically withdraw from the operation while firing rubber bullets.

‘‘I am deeply hurt and devastated to wake up this morning to learn that not a single criminal is arrested after the blatant disregard of our country’s laws yesterday in the Inner City,’’ Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba wrote on Twitter.

“I find the attack on our law enforcement officers totally unacceptable,’’ he told state broadcaster SABC.

Law enforcement officials often conduct operations in major cities to confiscate counterfeit products, including branded T-shirts, shoes and other textile products that are illegally manufactured bearing names of popular designer brands but sold at half the price.

Officials say counterfeit products deprive the state of taxes and could force original brand manufactures to shed jobs affecting the economy.

Lawmaker Joemat-Pettersson said it is unacceptable that there will be no-go areas in parts of the country for law enforcement officers.

A local trader who preferred to speak on condition of anonymity said the police treated them harshly during the operation -- beating up some of the traders which forced them to retaliate.

Police has denied the claims.