72-hour plan to arrest killers

POLICE Minister Bheki Cele issued a 72-hour action plan to ensure those behind the killing of two Western Cape constables are arrested and their stolen firearms recovered.

Constable Lonwabo Kili, 30, was shot and killed in Delft, while constable Siyamcela Ncipa, 37, was shot and killed in Khayelitsha on Friday.

Yesterday the community safety department offered a reward of up to R100 000 for information that could help arrest the killers.

Kili who was stationed at Bellville South police station was off duty when he was attacked on the corner of Sarah Baartman and Symphony Way in Delft. Police say he was picking up someone known to him.

Ncipa, also off duty, was shot twice in the head outside the residence of a friend in Site B, Khayelitsha. He worked at Mowbray SAPS.

“It is disturbing to observe that criminals have no regard for human life. Not even police officers are spared as they also fall prey to these attacks.

“Ours is to work around the clock to get to the perpetrators,” said provincial commisioner Khombinkosi Jula.

Cele said killing a police officer is an attack on the State and those who commit this kind of crime will be brought to book.

“Safety of our men and women in blue remains high on the agenda of the SAPS and is at the heart of the SAPS’s strategic imperatives to ensure the safety of our members,” said Cele.

Community Safety MEC Dan Plato said: “Attacks on the police in the province cannot be tolerated. The murders of police officers for seemingly no other reason than to obtain their firearms are disgusting acts of criminality and have no place in our society.

“I trust that the full police investigation will uncover those responsible for the planning and execution of these murders and that all involved will face their day in court.”

Next month police national commissioner Khehla Sitole will be commemorating police officers who died in the line of duty. “In every incident that police are involved in a shootout they have to apply their tactical training to subdue and arrest armed suspects,” said Sitole.

He applauded ongoing crime intelligence-led operations by various multidisciplinary task teams which were “squeezing the space of criminals to zero.

His remarks came after police arrested a group of men accused of robbing a courier vehicle in Joburg last week.

One suspect was shot dead during a shoot-out between police and the suspects.

Anyone with information can contact the police on 08600 10111 or sms crime line on 32211.