- A 59-year-old appeared in the Blue Downs Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 9 November for the murder of an off-duty police officer.
- The 38-year-old police constable, stationed at Harare Police Station in Khayelitsha, was reportedly stabbed to death in Mfuleni on Friday 3 November following an altercation with the suspect.
- The suspect handed himself to the police the next day.
A 59-year-old appeared in the Blue Downs Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 9 November for the murder of an off-duty police officer.
The 38-year-old police constable, stationed at Harare Police Station in Khayelitsha, was reportedly stabbed to death in Mfuleni on Friday 3 November following an altercation with the suspect.
Hawks spokesperson Lt-Col Siyabulela Vukubi confirmed that the suspect handed himself to the police the next day. “It is alleged that on Friday, the suspect and the victim had an altercation that resulted in the suspect stabbing the victim to death. The deceased was off duty when the incident occurred at about 13:20,” said Vukubi.
The suspect made the first court appearance on Monday 6 November. The case was postponed to Thursday for bail application and the suspect was remanded in custody.
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The killing has been condemned by the Harare Policing Community Forum (CPF) and called for the perpetrator to be sent and rot in jail.
A livid Harare CPF chair Funeka Soldaat described the attack and killing of a police officer as an attack on the state.
She said the pain that was caused by the suspect for killing the officer was unbearable.
“The CPF and the officers are like one family. It is painful to lose one of our members in that manner. We are very disturbed by his death,” said Soldaat. She urged the law enforcement officers not to leave any stone unturned.
Soldaat said the culprit deserves life in jail.
“Some people in our communities do not respect our officers. We are living in a society where people don’t obey the law. People who don’t want to be governed,” she stated.
Sodaat urged the government to set a precedent with this culprit.