Durban – KwaZulu-Natal police on Friday denied claims that a man arrested last month in Chesterville, Durban, was involved in abducting children.
The 31-second-long video, captioned "caught stealing children", has been viewed 130 560 times since it was uploaded on Facebook on May 31.
In the video, a policeman leads a handcuffed man in a blue T-shirt to the back of a police van. A woman says: "He looks like he is high on ecstasy. Take his picture."
A man shouts: "You’re here to steal children while wearing iziphandla." These are strips of goat skin worn around the wrist to honour the ancestors.
"Kill him! Where are the others?" another woman shouts.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said the man was arrested for a housebreaking in Westville. He was caught in Chesterville during a police chase.
Gwala warned people about spreading rumours on social media, which would only lead to spreading fear, and state resources being wasted.
"All those found spreading false information will be investigated or subject to civil litigation to recover police expenses," Gwala said.
Last month, KwaMashu residents and school children protested after rumours about foreigners in the area abducting children were circulated on social media.
