A 30-year-old man was arrested and appeared in the Khayelitsha Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 9 April in connection with the murder of Const Akho Ndzingo in June last year. The case was postponed to Friday 25 April for bail information.
The officers reported that Ndzingo was shot and killed while on duty in Q section in Site B (“Suspect apprehended for killing Khayelitsha officer ‘just a rumour’,” City Vision, 20 June 2024).
Western Cape Hawks spokesperson W/O Zinzi Hani said after a tireless investigation into the murder the suspect could be identified and linked to the offence.
“It was reported that on 12 June 2024, about 21:30, an on-duty Const Ndzingo, together with two of his colleagues were on crime-prevention duty in a marked Nissan bakkie.
“The police van was driven by one of his colleagues when they approached the corner of Badi and Ndabambi streets, Q Section in Site B, Khayelitsha. The officers spotted a suspicious-looking unknown African male at the side of the road and then stopped to search him. When the officers approached him the suspect started shooting at them.”
She added Ndzingo was shot once in the chest above his bullet-proof vest.
Hani said a shootout ensued between the suspect and police, in which the suspect sustained injuries but managed to flee on foot. She said Ndzingo was driven to Khayelitsha Day Hospital, Site B by two of his colleagues where he was declared dead on arrival.
A community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, for fear of reprisal, said the arrest of a suspect brings hope to the community. He said every time the officers make an arrest it excites the community.
“The suspect’s arrest has been long overdue. We have been waiting for this for a long time. And we believe what the officers did will bring trust to the officers. We want justice to prevail for Ndzingo.” He said the community wants the suspect to rot in jail.
He praised Ndzingo as a young officer. “He died on duty, doing what he does best. He was killed doing his job protecting thpeople.”
