Police in Mpumalanga say they have launched an intensive manhunt for suspects who were involved in the shooting and killing of a law enforcement officer and wounding another.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday 25 July at Emalahleni, formerly known as Witbank.
Brigadier Leonard Hlathi, Police Spokesperson said available information suggests that a group of about six suspects went to a filling station along the road to Lynville, near Emalahleni, where they robbed employees of their belongings.
They also allegedly placed explosives on the counter and threatened to detonate them if the employees opt to call for the police.
MUNICIPAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS INTERRUPTED THE ROBBERY
However, the robbers were interrupted by municipal law enforcement officers patrolling in the vicinity, who went to the filling station not knowing that a robbery was in progress.
Hlathi said:
“This resulted in a crossfire between these [law enforcement] members and the suspects, which led to Warrant Officer Samuel Nkosi being fatally wounded, while his 53-year-old colleague sustained gunshot injuries to his right hand.”
Police and medical services were called to the scene, whereupon Nkosi was certified dead on the scene and whilst the injured officer was taken to hospital.
COMMUNITY IS BECKONED TO ASSIST WITH IDENTIFYING THOSE INVOLVED
Hlathi said Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma, the Provincial Commissioner for Mpumalanga had called on the community to assist with the investigation and apprehension of those involved.
Hlathi stated:
“[The commissioner] has also sent his deepest condolences to the Nkosi family and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured colleague. We consider what has happened as an attack [on] law enforcement agencies at large and the perpetrators cannot go [unpunished]. They must be found.”
TWO MEN GIVEN 35 YEARS JAIL TERM FOR CAPE TOWN POLICE MURDER
In June, two men were each sentenced to a total of 35 years in prison, following the murder of a Cape Town SAPS officer six years ago.
The two men – Mxolisi Rhulumente, 40, and Annesly David Campher, 32, were each sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for the murder of Sergeant Xoliza Mlindwa, 41, who was attached to the Gugulethu SAPS crime prevention unit.
They received an additional 15 years each for the related crimes.
