CAPE TOWN – Harare police on patrol in the area in the early hours of Monday morning came across a light delivery vehicle loading bricks at a construction site. 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. He was taken to hospital where he 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.

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.

Western Cape Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Thembisile Patekile has decried the involvement of police officials in crime. “Not only do they tarnish the name of the SAPS but their actions strain relations between police and communities”, says Major General Patekile. He vowed to root out bad apples within Western Cape SAPS.

Source: South African Police Service