Police officer killed in Lower Crossroads
A BODY at the Salt River mortuary has been identified as that of a police officer stationed at Harare police station, who was shot and killed in Lower Crossroads on Saturday.
Mzingisi Gule, a victim of a suspected carjacking and robbery, was identified by his commander, Captain Mnyaiza, after his car was recovered in Browns Farm, Nyanga.
A resident, who did not want to be named for fear of victimisation, said residents heard multiple gunshots before they went to see what was happening. “A car was driven fast away from the scene, as we were approaching, and the community was starting to realise that there was something wrong,” she said.
She said the man died at the scene. The community tried to identify the body, but no one knew who he was.
A leaked police report stated that the deceased had three gunshot wounds to the head and was not wearing any shoes, and there were no witnesses or suspects at that stage.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said a murder case had been opened for investigation after a shooting incident on Saturday at Thekweni Street, Lower Crossroads, Philippi East.
Van Wyk referred the media to the Hawks spokesperson, Zinzi Hani, who confirmed that the Hawks were investigating the case.
The report stated that the police combed the scene and collected three 9mm cartridges, and that all role-players were then instructed to meet at Philippi East police station with standby members of the Hawks to take over the investigation.
The police officer’s distraught sister, Sindi Gule, said the family was on their way to Cape Town from Makhanda in the Eastern Cape. She did not want to comment further.
SA Policing Union acting deputy general secretary Peter Ntsime said the killing of police officers, whether on or off-duty, had reached an alarming rate a long time ago.
Ntsime said the union had consistently condemned police killings, and there have been national summits and other plans to curb the scourge, but to no avail.
The killing of police officers was “a pandemic that the whole population should be concerned about. The justice system should show no mercy to police killers,” said Ntsime.