A 38-year-old man will appear in Athlone Magistrates’ Court on Monday 15 May for shooting a police officer in the leg.
The man, whose identity has been withheld for legal reasons, allegedly shot Col Lindile Majola when he and his colleagues foiled a truck-hijacking incident in Brown’s Farm.
Provincial police spokesperson Col Andre Traut told City Vision police will not tolerate any attack on their members. He added they will use all their resources to bring the perpetrators to book.
According to Traut, the suspect was caught after he opened fire at the 51-year-old police officer. “The colonel and three colleagues were doing crime prevention patrols in Brown’s Farm around 15:50 when they were alerted to an armed robbery in progress in Mnixi Street. They immediately responded and approached the beverage delivery vehicle, the target of the robbery.
“On their arrival on the crime scene the suspects fled on foot with police in pursuit. One of the suspects opened fire at the police members and wounded the colonel,” Traut pointed out.
He said the suspect was pursued by the colonel’s colleagues until he was arrested and disarmed. He stated other suspects managed to evade arrest and were being sought.
Traut said Majola was admitted to hospital and he is in a table condition. A case of attempted murder, the possession of an unlicensed firearm and armed robbery was opened, he said.
Western Cape National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabzalila said the suspect appeared in Athlone Magistrates’ Court on Monday 8 May and was remanded in custody. He said he was scheduled to appear again on Monday 15 May for his bail application.
Meanwhile, the Nyanga Community Policing Forum (CPF) has called for a review of the Constitution to ensure those who attack and kill law-enforcement officers rot in jail. It said there is no place for criminals in society.
CPF secretary Dumisani Qwebe described the attack on the officers as an attack on the state.
He described the arrest of one of the suspects as a huge victory. He stated that the arrested suspect will tell the officers about the whereabouts of other suspects.
Qwebe stated that as the CPF they were opposed to the bail for the perpetrator. He stated that anyone who attacked the law enforcement officers attacked the state.
Qwebe urged the community to come out in numbers to support Majola in court.
“We will mobilise the community to court on the day the suspect is appearing,” he said. “We say no bail for the suspect. Once you attack our police you are attacking our justice. So we need the state to review the terms and conditions that they check before it grants bail to the perpetrator.”
On behalf of the community Qwebe wished Majola a speedy recovery from his injury.