Hunt for killers who ambushed police officers
POLICE have instituted a 72-hour activation plan to apprehend those responsible for the killing of two police officers in Kraaifontein.
Police spokesperson André Traut said at aout 1.25am yesterday, Constable M Breakfast and Sergeant MW Mdoka were on patrol in Phumla Street in Bloekombos when their vehicle came under fire in an apparent ambush. Both policemen were killed on the scene and robbed of their official firearms.
“The Hawks have been assigned to investigate the circumstances surrounding this heinous act against the state. We appeal to the public to come forward with information that will assist us in bringing these criminals to book, as there is no space in society for them,” Traut said.
Independent Policing Union of SA general secretary Mpho Kwinika said South Africans must know that the number of police officials was reduced when officers were killed.
“It is even worse when firearms are stolen from police officers as in this case, because it is these weapons that are turned against innocent citizens by these criminals," Kwinika said.
Police and Prisons Civil Rights
Union spokesperson Richard Mamabolo said the issue of police killings was one of oncern that could no longer be overlooked.
“We have been worried about these trends (targeting of officers) for some time, yet there haven’t been successful measures in ensuring it is given the necessary attention,” said Mamabolo.
Part of the problem could be attributed to the challenges of under-staffing and the uneven allocation of resources, he said.
“Having to stretch their operations across a broader number of community populations in smaller groups, increases their likelihood of being attacked.
“It isn’t the first occurrence of this nature, and it will likely continue increasing if there’s no urgent intervention to ensure we get more boots on the ground and prioritise their safety,” he said.
Kraaifontein Community Policing Forum deputy chairperson, Nyanisile Tafu, said the Kraaifontein police station was supposed to be a priority station, but there were no resources in the station.
SA Policing Union (Sapu) acting deputy general secretary Peter Ntsime called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare police killings a third pandemic in the country after Covid-19 and gender-based violence.
Ntsime said Sapu also called on law-abiding citizens to provide information that would lead to the successful arrest and conviction of the suspects.
Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation is urged to contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or police via the MySAPS app.