KWAMHLANGA -  This morning (November 6) at about 02:42, a police captain was fatally shot in the line of duty while responding to a business robbery in progress. A constable, who was with him at the time, was also wounded.

It is alleged that a gang of 10 armed men, travelling in a blue Volkswagen Polo GTI, stormed  the convenience shop of a filling station. Clients and employees were held at gunpoint in the staffroom while the attackers fired random shots.

They then ordered the cashier to hand over all the cash on the premises after which they attempted to detonate the drop-in safe.

Police arrived on the scene while the perpetrators were still in the building, and a shoot-out ensued in which the police captain was killed. The injured officer was rushed to hospital by ambulance and is currently in a stable condition.

The criminals fled the scene with the police members’ firearms, as well as an undisclosed amount of cash. Police are investigating a case of  business robbery, murder, attempted murder and the contravention of the Explosives Act, as well as other related charges. The Provincial Commissioner for the Mpumalanga SAPS, Lt Gen Mondli Zuma, condemned this incident in the strongest possible terms, and called on the community to cooperate with the police in the investigation.

Anyone with information that can lead to the arrest of the suspects, can contact the SAPS branch commander Lt Col Isaac Kgobeng Magakwe on 082-318-9651 or the local SAPS on 013-947-4045 or 082-922-9831.

Submitted by: Brig Leonard Hlati
Subeditor: Lynette Brink / Letter Linguist 
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