CAPE TOWN – An off-duty policeman was shot and killed on Monday at a construction site in Khayelitsha, while allegedly stealing bricks.
According to SAPS, Harare police on patrol in the early hours of Monday morning came across a light delivery vehicle loading bricks at a construction site in Khayelitsha. As they approached the vehicle, four suspects fled. Police managed to arrest two suspects assisted by security guards who were on site. As they were busy loading the arrested suspects into the police van, police came under fire. They returned fire.
The gunman was hit and immediately taken to hospital where he later died. It later transpired he was an off-duty police official attached to the Khayelitsha Tactical Response Team.
The Independent Police Investigation Directorate was informed.
“Not only do they tarnish the name of the SAPS but their actions strain relations between police and communities”, said Major General Patekile.
Further investigations led the police to the home of the deceased where a generator stolen in a business robbery in the area was found. It was also discovered that the firearm used by the deceased to fire shots at the police was a service pistol registered in his name. The vehicle that was loading bricks at the construction site belonged to the deceased, the police report stated.
