Pretoria: 26 May 2019- The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, General Khehla John Sitole and the SAPS Management have learned with concern of the killing of two members in KwaZulu-Natal province in separate incidents on 24 and 26 May 2019.
It alleged that an off-duty police constable came into the Ekombe Police Station Community Service Centre just after 21:00 on 24 May 2019. An altercation that ensued between the member and the Sergeant who was a Relief Commander on duty allegedly culminated in the Constable fatally shooting the 43-year-old Sergeant. The Constable was immediately arrested by his colleagues who registered a case of murder and investigations will determine the motive.
In a separate incident, police were this morning at about 05:00, summoned to a scene in Pata location outside Pietermaritzburg where a police constable was murdered. Police found the member’s vehicle, a white Opel Corsa on the side of the road. Seemingly the vehicle stopped after colliding with a big rock. The members body was found outside the vehicle with two bullet wounds to his head. The 25-year old Constable was stationed at Hilton Police Station. The Province has implemented the 72-Hour Activation Plan to hunt down the perpetrators.
The National Commissioner has welcomed the swift arrest of the member on the Ekombe incident. He has at the same time conveyed his condolences to the families and colleagues of both slain members. The National Commissioner has expressed his sadness regarding the incident wherein one of our own lost his life at the hands of a colleague while he condemned the cold-blooded killing of an off duty member at the hands of unknown assailants. “My sincere condolences to the families of the deceased members. I have directed the province to afford the families full support during and beyond this time of bereavement”, said the National Commissioner who went on to make a call to those who are investigating these cases to get to the bottom of what led to these tragedies.
