he management of the South African Police Service (SAPS) is calling for greater cooperation from communities by actively joining the fight against crime to end the scourge of police attacks and killings.
In the last 72 hours, five police officers in three provinces were shot and wounded, with three of them sadly succumbing to their injuries.
In Kwa-Zulu Natal, a Sergeant attached to the Empangeni Flying Squad was shot and killed on the N2 between Mtubatuba and Empangeni. The incident happened on Sunday morning at 07:30 when members of the Empangeni Flying Squad spotted a suspicious looking vehicle on the highway. When members approached the said vehicle, they were met with fire. The 45-year-old member was fatally wounded while another sustained gunshot wounds. Three suspects were fatally wounded and police have since mobilized resources and various disciplines within the province to apprehend two suspects who fled the scene.
In Gauteng, a 45-year-old Sergeant attached to the Crime Intelligence Office at the Reiger Park Police Station was shot and killed on Saturday afternoon while following up on information on a murder case at the Joe Slovo Hostel. While patrolling the area in his state vehicle, the member was shot multiple times by a group of unknown gunmen. The member who was also disarmed of his state firearm sadly succumbed to his injuries on scene. Still in Gauteng, a member attached to the Eldorado Park Police Station was shot and wounded while attending to a complaint at an identified address in Freedom Park just after midnight on Sunday morning. Gauteng police have since mobilized all resources in a bid to apprehend those responsible for both incidents.
In Mpumalanga, a 37-year-old Sergeant attached to the Kabokweni Visible Policing Unit was killed during a shootout with robbers in the Kabokweni policing precinct on Friday. The member was part of a team that was following up on information of a planned robbery when they were met with fire at a guesthouse in the area. Six suspects have since been arrested and eight firearms have been seized.
Members of the Employee Health and Wellness (EHW) unit which includes Chaplains and Psychologists have been dispatched to provide counselling services to the deceased members’ colleagues, families as well as to those members who are receiving medical treatment in hospital.
With the management of the SAPS continuously ensuring adherence and compliance to the implementation of the Police Safety Strategy which seeks to enhance the safety of police officers on and off duty, the need for increased cooperation between the SAPS and communities cannot be overemphasized. Communities continue to play a pivotal role in sharing vital information by acting as the eyes and ears of our police officers in detecting criminal elements within society.
Communities are therefore constantly reminded to share crime related information on the Crime Stop number on 08600 10111 or download the MYSAPS App on any smart phone. Members of the public are reminded that they may opt to remain anonymous when sharing information.
