Police silent on whereabouts of ‘killer’ inmate

It’s not clear if attacker has history of mental illness

Mpumalanga police would not disclose yesterday whether a woman alleged to have assaulted and mauled a female police officer to death was still being kept in the holding cells of the same police station where the attack occurred.

Brigadier Leonard Hlathi said they would not reveal this information as it was an operational matter.

All he could divulge was that the 32-year-old woman‚ Gugu Msiza‚ had appeared in the KwaMhlanga Magistrate’s Court yesterday afternoon and her case was postponed to Monday.

While the initial police statement had stated that Msiza was suspected to have a mental illness‚ Hlathi said this had not been confirmed.

“Her state of mind was not discussed in court‚” said Hlathi.

Lieutenant-Colonel Sibongile Vilakazi had gone to Msiza‚ who is an awaiting-trial prisoner‚ to give her clothes and medication.

“[She] walked into the cell to wake her. The suspect then jumped on the police officer‚ grabbed her with her hair and banged her head several times against the wall and bit her on the neck‚” said Hlathi.

“Other colleagues tried to assist Vilakazi and she managed to walk on her own into the kitchen cells‚ but collapsed shortly after.”

Paramedics declared the officer dead on the scene.

Police Minister Fikile Mbalula said Vilakazi had followed procedure as she had been with another officer when she entered the cell.

It is allegedly not the first time Msiza had attacked a police officer.

“The suspect has been arrested before for several cases, including assaulting a police officer and malicious damage to property‚” said Hlathi

“As a result‚ she appeared at KwaMhlanga Magistrate’s Court on August 31 2017 on two counts of malicious damage to property‚ assault‚ defeating the ends of justice‚ resisting arrest and her cases were postponed to Thursday”.

‘‘ The suspect has been arrested before for assaulting a police officer