‘Police meant to protect, not kill us’
Outrage as mom-of-two gunned down on way home from work
‘I’MANGRY at the police for killing my daughter.” Less than 24 hours after Nando’s worker Phumeza Fudumele was shot dead, her mother, Thozama Fudumele, spoke of her frustration with the police in the wake of her daughter’s killing.
Phumeza Fudumele, pictured, who worked at Nando’s in Sunningdale, was killed when police allegedly opened fire on a taxi transporting staff home in Dunoon on Wednesday night. Her colleague, known as Zanele, was wounded in the shootout.
It is alleged that police believed the taxi was involved in an ATM robbery earlier that day.
Following these events, Community Safety MEC Dan Plato called on police to answer for their alleged actions.
Thozama Fudumele said: “I’m angry at the police for killing my daughter, especially because she did nothing wrong.”
She said the police should know better because “they cannot just go around shooting people”.
“I’m deeply hurt by what the police have done. I hope they take care of her funeral and
support us in bringing up the children,” she added.
Phumeza Fudumele leaves behind two children in the care of her mother.
Thozama Fudumele said she doesn’t know how she is going to raise her daughter’s children and that her daughter loved her children and did everything for them.
The children’s father, Zwai Tsoli, said that after looking for his girlfriend, whom he usually fetches at the spot she’s dropped off, he went into Dunoon looking for her.
“It’s police who shot Phumeza, and they are supposed to be the people we run to when we are in trouble,” he said.
Tsoli said it would have been understandable for him if his girlfriend was shot while getting robbed or by someone else “but that it’s police makes it even harder”.
“I hope something is done about this police action,” he added.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the shooting of the two Nando’s employees has been taken over by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid).
Ipid spokesman Robbie Raburabu confirmed that his office was investigating the incident.
Raburabu said the police alleged there was a robbery at an ATM and the alarm went off. Police went to the scene, where no suspect was found. As they patrolled the area, they noted a vehicle which fitted the description of the car used in the ATM robbery, which was an Avanza.
“According to the police they warned the vehicle to stop but it proceeded and shots were fired. Two occupants of the Avanza were shot. One died on the scene and one was admitted to hospital,” he said.
Plato said: “Police need to answer to this. There is not much information coming out and I understand why, as they are the ones involved and want to say as little as possible.”
He said he was glad that Ipid was investigating the matter. “Ipid will investigate and determine if there was any wrongdoing on the police’s side.”
Plato also passed his condolences to Fudumele’s family. “My deepest condolences to her family, her two children and the Nando’s staff in general.”
A Dunoon man, who did not want to be named and who was one of the first people on the scene, said: “I heard gunshots and I thought it was gangsters.
“I was surprised to see that it was police because I never heard any sirens and it didn’t look like anyone was shooting back at them.”