Cape Town - The motive for yet another police murder is still unclear, as police launched a manhunt for gunmen who killed Sithembiso Mnantwana on Thursday.
Mnantwana, 39, was murdered in cold blood as he arrived home in Samora Machel from a 12-hour night shift at Cape Town Central police station where he was stationed.
The shooting happened as two other off-duty police officers continue to recover after they were shot and wounded by unknown suspects on Friday night in Swartklip and Japta K Masemole Road, Ikhwezi Park.
Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said Mnantwana was not armed with his service pistol at the time of the incident.
It remained unclear whether Mnantwana was killed for access to a firearm, Traut said.
“Detectives and crime scene experts are gathering leads in Oliver Tambo Drive in Samora Machel where an off-duty police officer was shot and killed in cold blood, in an attempt to bring them closer to those responsible for this callous act of violence.
“At around 6:45 the 39-year-old sergeant stationed at Cape Town Central returned home after a 12-hour night shift when he was attacked by armed criminals in front of his residence.
He sustained several gunshot wounds and succumbed to death at the crime scene,” said Traut.
Popcru provincial secretary Pat Roalane said members of society have lost respect for men and women in blue.
“For any person who works for the police service, whether it's a police officer or not, our people must respect us.
“You must understand that we come from the police force; we have changed it since 1994 to become the police service.
“Everything that we do is for the people so we can't be enemies. We were enemies during the apartheid regime, but now we cannot be enemies.
“By all means, we condemn anything that suggests that police officers can be killed.
“Our society must accept us as part of them,” said Roalane. Mnantwana’s grieving family was not available to speak to the media on Thursday.
Last Sunday an SAPS National Commemoration Day was held to remember and honour the 33 police officers who were killed between April 2021 and March 2022.
Activist and whistle-blower Zona Morton said Mnantwana’s came 10 days from the anniversary of the assassination of Lt Col Charl Kinnear.
She said the safety of SAPS members needed to be addressed.
Cape Times