The Nyanga Community Policing Forum (CPF) has sent a stern warning to criminals that the days of their misdoings, in the Nyanga and Philippi areas, are numbered.
This from its secretary, Dumisani Qwebe, after a criminal who was robbing one of the shops at Philippi Shopping Centre on Friday 5 April was gunned down by security officers.
He praised law-enforcement agencies for stepping up their fight against crime.
Qwebe urged criminals to take note of what occurred on Friday.
“The eyewitness said a group of men that was carrying firearms robbed Shoprite at the Philippi Shopping Centre, near Philippi Magistrate Court. When they saw the officers they opened fire at them and the officers shot back. One of the criminals was shot and killed at the scene while others fled on foot.”
He said such criminal activities had traumatic effects on communities, not to mention the criminals’ own families.
“All these bad things they do will at some point inevitably go back to their families, who will face the burden of burying them after they are killed. And the officers are not playing now; they will shoot to kill when provoked.”
Provincial police spokesperson Sgt Wesley Twigg said the circumstances surrounding a business robbery at a retail store in Govan Mbeki Road, Philippi on Friday 5 April, are under investigation.
“According to reports, unknown suspects entered the store and robbed it of an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing the scene.
“We can confirm one suspect was fatally wounded by local security while the other suspects are still at large. A firearm belonging to one of the suspects was recovered at the scene.”
He said Philippi East officers are investigating a business robbery as well as an unlawful possession of a firearm case.
Twigg said an inquest was opened regarding the death of the suspect.
Anyone with any information about this incident can contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.