Counselling for RTI staff after colleagues killed in Mtubatuba
ROAD Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) staff stationed at Mtubatuba will be receiving counselling after two of their colleagues were gunned down on Monday.
This is according to the head of the provincial Department of Transport, Siboniso Mbhele, who yesterday visited the scene where RTI officers Mxolisi Lamula, 36, and Sizwe Sithole, 48, were shot and killed.
The pair were murdered while on duty at the N2 on-ramp to Nkodibe at about 6.30pm on Monday, after being ambushed by unknown suspects and robbed of their state service firearms.
Mbhele said it was a very sad moment when they visited the scene, adding he had no words to describe the brutality of the murders.
The department said the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) was handling the case, and forensic teams were on the ground to speed up the investigation.
“Yesterday (Monday), at about 9.30pm, we received a call to say that our traffic officers were shot in Mtubatuba while they were on duty.
“This morning (yesterday), SAPS shared with us what transpired before we visited the scene. We appreciate the Hawks being on the scene and the matter is being investigated. We are hoping that the perpetrators can be found, and will be found as soon as possible, so that they can be brought to book and face the full might of the law,” said Mbhele.
He said he could not understand how someone could kill a member of the community, a brother, a father and an officer protecting the community.
“We met the staff as well and talked to them. They are very hurt and will need a lot of support and counselling, which as the Department of Transport we will arrange.”
Mbhele met police management in Mtubatuba and was briefed on the investigation. “We remain convinced that the arrival of the Hawks to take over the case will assist in finding these perpetrators. This is brazen criminality, and we find it unacceptable that our members were killed in the line of duty.
“These criminals deserve nothing but to be sent to jail. Traffic officers are an important part of our society as they serve to protect communities against lawlessness and irresponsible drivers, who are killing our people every day on the road. We call on all law enforcement officers to be extra vigilant and to defend themselves. We also appeal to everyone with information (on the murders) to share it with the police,” he said.