Police have vowed to track down and arrest two criminals who threatened to murder and rob foreigners during this year's World Cup in interviews broadcast on local television channel e.tv .
Lashing out at e.tv. which broadcast the interviews on Friday evening, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa accused the station of "reckless harbouring of criminals".
But group news editor Ben Said claimed it was e.News' duty to inform the public, and Mthethwa was shooting the messenger.
Head of Crime Line Yusuf Abramjee said that as one of the government's partners in the fight against crime, they were equally disturbed."We are worried by the utter-ances made by these two self-confessed criminals on a national platform like e.tv.
"These two criminals have tormented police publicly and caused mayhem. They must therefore be brought to book and we appeal to anyone with information to help," he said.
South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) chairman Jovial Rantao said their leadership would only consider the matter today.
The footage had both self-confessed criminals' identities hidden - one with a stocking pulled over his head, the other filmed loading a firearm - and contained comments that they intended to commit armed robberies and murder during the football showpiece in June and July.
They justified their intentions by saying it was repayment for colonial wrongs.
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