ANC CONDEMNS POLICE KILLINGS
The African National Congress (ANC) strongly condemns the killing over the past weekend of two police officers and a reserve constable in Mpumalanga's Mkhondo Municapality, formerly known as Piet Retief.
It is alleged that the sequence that led to the fatal shooting of the officers started earlier in the night with the police officers spotting a suspicious vehicle. According to the South African Police Services (SAPS), the incident in which 24-year-old reserve Constable Sabelo Ngwenya was shot and killed together with Constable TT Moroga (30) and Constable Joseph Molefe (32) took place on Sunday, 25 April 2010. The police officers and the reserve constable were fatally attacked while on patrol earlier during the night, after spotting a white Toyota Conquest.
They allegedly stopped the vehicle, but the driver ignored them. The police followed it but it vanished from the scene. They then reported the incident at the community service centre, warning other police officers to be on the look out for the vehicle. Later, the same vehicle was again spotted parked next to the local First National Bank in Amersfoort. It is alleged that the two police officers alighted from their patrol vehicle and went to investigate. It was during the investigation that the suspects opened fire at them, using high calibre weapons, which included AK 47s and R5s assault rifles. The two police officers were fatally wounded and the reserve constable was injured on his stomach. Despite the injuries, he managed to drive the bullet-riddled police vehicle which had more than 30 bullet holes, back to the police station and collapsed on arrival. He was then taken to the local hospital in a serious critical condition, and later transferred to Ermelo. He died later of injuries.
The ANC, which has zero tolerance on crime - one of the key priority areas in its 2009 Election Manifesto -calls on the people of Piet Retief and Amersfoort to assist the police investigation by coming up with any information that may lead to the arrest of the criminals. Let us declare anyone who is involved in acts of criminality, especially those shooting at police and members of the public - Public Enemy Number One. Let us report time to the police and not engage with them physically. We call for an end to the killing of police officers in Mpumalanga and throughout the country - a barbaric act of criminality.
As we celebrate the 16 years of our democracy, the best we can do - as society - is to stop the killing of police officers who are only patrolling our streets to protect us from criminals. We highly value the work of police in fighting crime and believe that co-operation with communities will go a long way in creating a crime-free society.
We pay tribute to the diseased police officers and reservist constable for their selfless and noble work done in ensuring the safety and security of our people in Mkhondo - and by extension South Africa. The fact that they paid with their lives while fighting marauding criminals armed with high calibre weapons demonstrated their dedication and commitment to serve the people of this country. Let us stop the killing of police officers by working together with the police to declare war on crime, taking the battle to the criminals. The ANC sends its condolences to the families, relatives and friends of the diseased.
Statement issued by ANC national spokesperson, Jackson Mthembu, April 28 2010
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