A leader of the Nyanga Community Policing Forum (CPF) is fuming, demanding that law enforcement bring to justice the people who shot and killed the off-duty officer from Nyanga Police Station in Town Two, Khayelitsha, on Sunday 21 June.
‘A wound that will never heal’…
Nyanga CPF secretary Dumisani Qwebe described the death as a wound that will never heal. He described the deceased as a dedicated member.
“I know the sergeant. We have worked with him for many years. He dedicated his life to his job. I was heartbroken when I first heard about his death on Sunday 21 June. I don’t believe that he is no more,” said Qwebe.
He urged law enforcement agencies not to leave any stone unturned. Qwebe described the escalating crime in the black townships as worrisome. He said there is a lot that needs to be done in terms of fighting crime in the townships.
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CPF raises concerns…
“The officers need to change the 72-hour turnaround time to 48 hours now. That 72-hour period is too long. We want the killers of the Nyanga sergeant to be arrested and rot in jail so that the deceased’s family can be relieved,” he stated, adding that they are worried the replacement of the deceased might take years to materialise.
He highlighted the lack of resources and shortage of police officers deployed in the police stations in the townships as some of the major problems.
Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa said Western Cape police are still reeling from the shock following the murder of the Nyanga off-duty police sergeant who was shot and killed in Khayelitsha on Sunday afternoon.
Police outline events leading to the murder
“Official reports indicate the 47-year-old officer was in the Khayelitsha area visiting a relative when two gunmen entered the relative’s home in Town Two at approximately 14:55. They fired multiple shots at him and fled in a vehicle. A murder docket was subsequently opened at Lingelethu Police Station and the motive for the shooting incident is the subject of the police investigation,” said Potelwa.
Western Cape police management have expressed condolences to the family and colleagues of the deceased police official.
She said Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigations detectives are probing the murder.
