6 Cape Town cops shot in less than a week
28 November 2016
Cape Town - Only one arrest has been made in connection with the shooting of six police officers, in various incidents, in less than a week in Cape Town.
But national Hawks head Lieutenant General Mthandazo Ntlemeza has warned that the directorate will "relentlessly pursue all responsible".
He labelled the shootings as attacks on the state.
Three police officers have been killed and three others injured within five days.
In the most recent incident, a Manenberg policeman was wounded as a group of suspected gangsters opened fire and hurled rocks at officers who responded to a complaint at Belinda Court in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The policeman was shot in the ankle, while another man was shot twice in the head and survived.
Guns stolen
On Saturday, Constable Masibonge Mqwada, 33, was shot and killed In Kraaifontein while dropping off a relative.
Mqwada was attacked by three assailants in what appeared to be a hijacking attempt, provincial Hawks spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramovha said.
Hours later, Constable Thandoxolo Ndiki, 30, was found on a pavement in Delft after being shot in the upper body.
He later died in hospital and his car was recovered in Muizenberg on Sunday afternoon.
On Thursday, a captain was shot in the stomach during an operation in Manenberg.
He has since been released from hospital.
Last Tuesday, Constable Amanda Ladlokova was shot and killed while responding to a complaint in Philippi East.
A second officer was shot and injured in the incident and their guns were stolen by three attackers.
A teenager, 19, has been arrested for the shooting and appeared in the Athlone Magistrate's Court on Friday.
No other arrests have yet been made.
R100 000 reward
Ntlemeza said he was "deeply disturbed" by the unwarranted attacks on the police, saying it remained a priority crime as it threatened the safety of communities.
"We shall continue to relentlessly pursue all responsible in carrying out the directorate’s mandate of ensuring that all people... feel safe in the country. An attack on a police officer is an attack on the state," he said.
Western Cape Community Safety MEC Dan Plato has urged anyone with information on the police killings to report it to the authorities.
He offered a R100 000 reward for tip-offs which would result in the arrests and convictions of those behind the killings.
"While we have no operational control over SAPS, our government is committed to supporting the hard working officers who put their lives on the line every day to protect others," Plato said.
"This reward should be a strong warning to anyone wishing to harm the brave men and women who serve our communities – there are now an extra 100 000 reasons why you will not get away with it."
This article first appeared on News24, see here.
