The Mpumalanga Department of Community, Safety, Security and Liaison has condemned the recent attacks on police officers.
Last week, six suspects were arrested for killing a police officer Themba Simba of the Kabokweni Police station.
Simba was shot during a shoot out with suspects at a local guesthouse. In a separate incident, a police officer from Gauteng was robbed off his service pistol in Shatale near Bushbuckridge.
Kabokweni Police received a tip off about 15 suspects that were gathered at a certain guesthouse. It is alleged that the suspects were planning to commit an armed robbery. The police went to the guesthouse.
Upon noticing the arrival of the police, the suspects began fleeing whilst opening fire toward the police.
A shoot out ensued. 37-year-old Sergeant Themba Simba lost his life. Six of the 15 suspects were apprehended.
Police confiscated eight illegal firearms with ammunition.
Mpumalanga Police spokesperson Donald Mdluli says, “A 37-year-old police officer was fatally shot during the time when the members were busy trying to arrest the suspects, unfortunately, he lost his life and also we can indicate that six suspects have so far been arrested in connection with that incident.”
More attacks on police member in Mpumalanga
In a separate incident in Shatale outside Bushbuckridge, a police officer was robbed off a service pistol over the weekend. Mdluli says a female suspect has been arrested in connection with the robbery.
“A police officer who is working in Gauteng who was reportedly robbed off his firearm on Saturday night. The firearm has since been recovered after that incident which happened in Shatale and the third one is the one happened over this weekend where members were actually attacked after they received information about suspects who are planning arm-robbery at a business, as they were approaching the members were shot at fortunately no one was injured and the suspects tried to flee in a Toyota Avanza which cornered by the members were two suspects a male and female were arrested.”
Meanwhile, MEC for Community, Safety, Security and Liaison Vusi Shongwe has condemned the attacks on the police.
“The confrontation that criminals are doing in the province towards our police as you have correctly mentioned, the people involved in these three incidents need to be brought to book and I’m quite happy because the one who was involved in the police killing in Kabokweni has been arrested.”
The six suspects who murdered a police officer have appeared in the Kabokweni Magistrate’s Court. The case has been postponed to the 5th of April for a legal presentation.
