- The murder of a police officer in Khayelitsha on Friday 26 January has outraged the community.
- The officer, whose details have been withheld, was gunned down with another man at Solomon Tshuku in Site C, around 21:00.
- It is alleged the pair were with a group of men when they came under siege from unknown gunmen.
The murder of a police officer in Khayelitsha on Friday 26 January has outraged the community.
The officer, whose details have been withheld, was gunned down with another man at Solomon Tshuku in Site C, around 21:00.
It is alleged the pair were with a group of men when they came under siege from unknown gunmen.
Lt Col Malcolm Pojie, provincial police spokesperson, said a double-murder case had been opened by Khayelitsha police. He said both victims were in their mid-30s. “Both succumbed to gunshot wounds in hospital,” Pojie said, adding the motive for the killings was subject to investigation.
However, community sources allege the group the pair was part of, was linked to acts of extortion and were ambushed by a rival group on that fateful evening.
A community leader, who asked to remain anonymous for safety concerns, told City Vision the group was well-known for being involved in extortion cases.
They had been tormenting the community, and the presence of the police officer among them, was found profoundly disturbing for many.
The leader said he couldn’t say for sure why the officer was in the area at the time he was killed, though, adding that the community was shocked by the news.
“We heard about the incident and we are shocked,” he said. “We are asking ourselves how it is possible that the officer was with alleged criminals? We do not know. It may happen that the officer was not part of the crew or he went to visit his family and the shooting occurred while he was chatting with them. We don’t know,” he said.
He urged the community to work with police to fight crime.
“Crime is everybody’s business. It has no colour or race. It affects everyone. We need to stand up and unite to fight it.”
The leader urged the community to report everything that is suspicious to the nearest police station. However, he stated that if they are not comfortable speaking with the officers for whatever reasons, they must communicate with the community leaders.
“We need to revive our community structures and we are appealing to our community to join them,” he said. “We can’t allow a group of people (criminals) to dictate to us. We need to unite against them.”
The officers appeal to anyone with information to please contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111. All information will be dealt with confidentially.
