Durban: The father of a policeman who survived last week’s shootout with criminals in Rosettenville, Johannesburg, has appealed to South Africans not to take policemen for granted as they risk their lives to protect others.
Kreeaken Gerald Naicker, 43, formerly from Pietermaritzburg, is a warrant officer for the SAPS Airwing Services in Wonderboom, Pretoria. He was shot in the chest and is recovering.
Naicker's dad, Lucky, who is a pastor and councillor, said a relative informed him about the shooting.
"Kreeaken went to the scene (of the crime) as a passenger in the helicopter. As the helicopter circled the area, the suspects who had AK47s fired at them. I believe they were trying to shoot at the fuel tank to cause the helicopter to lose fuel and crash."
He said his son was shot in the chest.
"The bullet exited his back and he lost a lot of blood. The pilot took him to the nearest hospital. By then the blood had seeped into my son's lungs and he was in a critical condition. He was admitted to ICU."
Naicker said he and his wife left their home in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday to visit their son in the hospital.
"Thankfully by then, his condition had improved and he spoke to us. We returned to Pietermaritzburg on Sunday and on Monday I was told he is recovering and will be moved to the general ward."
He said his son was married and had a six-year-old son.
"Hearing that he was shot was the hardest news to receive. I remember starting to choke up. We knew his work was dangerous but we never really thought we would go through something like this.
"I remembered some 20 years ago, he told his mother and me that he wanted to become a police officer. We told him it would be risky. But my son loves helping others. As a country, we should not take policemen for granted. They risk their lives to ensure we are protected."
Grace Langa, the spokesperson for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, said it was alleged that last Monday police were following up on information about suspects who were planning to commit a cash-in-transit heist in Johannesburg.
"The information led them to a safe house in Rossettenville where suspects had met for their final planning.
"The chopper was hovering above the safe house, while other members took positions on the ground. When the suspects noticed the chopper, they started shooting at the police chopper and the police on the chopper retaliated by shooting back at the suspects."
Langa said the police on the ground and suspects opened fired at each other. She said the suspects tried to escape - some on foot and others in their vehicles. Langa said additional police manpower, including from other law enforcement agencies, arrived.
She said five of the suspects, who jumped over a wall to a neighbour's house, held the occupants' hostage.
"As the members went into this house, the shootout continued. The suspects were overpowered and the police managed to apprehend 10 suspects of which two were wounded and were taken to hospital for treatment under police guard."
Langa said backup vehicles from Mofatt View SAPS chased the other suspects, who hijacked a white VW Polo Vivo.
"Another shootout ensued between the suspects and the police officers. Eight suspects were fatally wounded and declared dead at the crime scene. One of the deceased suspects is an ex-military member."
The suspects appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court last Wednesday.
They are facing eight counts of murder, attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, possession of explosives, possession of hijacked vehicles and conspiracy to commit a cash-in-transit heist.
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