Nyanga Community Policing Forum (CPF) says it is high time for the government to implement stringent laws against people killing law enforcement officers.
The remarks came after an officer and a passenger were ambushed at the corners of New Eisleben and Sheffield roads in Philippi on Wednesday 5 July.
They both died on the scene.
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The driver died on the spot while the passenger was gunned down a few metres from the vehicle.
Information received from the scene suggested that the suspects came from a white Toyota Avanza and went straight to the victim’s car and shot them several times before they fled.
The motive for the shooting is unknown.
Nyanga CPF secretary Dumisani Qwebe described the killing of law enforcement officers as something that has become a norm in many societies.
He appealed to the state to implement stringent laws against the perpetrators.
“South Africa is becoming a banana republic for criminals. Last month, two police officers were gunned down in Khayelitsha in separate incidents. The other officer was shot and killed at Tshuku Street in Site C. While the second officer was shot and killed at Mandela Park in Khayelitsha. Both officers were off duty when the incidents occurred. We believe that an attack on our law enforcement officers is an attack on the state,” said Qwebe.
He said it was everybody’s responsibility to protect this country from the hooligans.
Qwebe stated that it could not be normal to kill people in their societies. He said a single death was one too many.
Provincial police spokesperson Lt- Col Malcolm Pojie said Philippi East police have opened a double murder docket for further investigation following a shooting incident that claimed the lives of two men (43 and 22) of which one was identified as an off-duty police sergeant who was on leave at the time of the incident.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated by the Hawks (DPCI).
Provincial Hawks spokesperson Lt-Col Siyabulela Vukubi said the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team is investigating a double murder in which one of the victims is a police officer. He said no one has yet been arrested
- Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111.