General Fannie Masemola, the national police commissioner, has ordered the mobilisation of all available resources after three police officers were shot and stripped of their service pistols during an armed robbery on Thursday morning at a gas station in Tembisa, Gauteng.
According to reports from the scene, a gang of armed suspects entered a filling station on Andrew Mapheto Drive and robbed the convenience shop of cigarettes and an unknown sum of money, according to South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesman Athlenda Mathe.
“They instantly opened fire on three members affiliated to the Tembisa South Police Station and a security guard as they were ready to depart when they observed a group of police officers approaching the filling station,” she said.
The security guard and police officers each received several bullet wounds and lost their duty firearms.
One of the three participants died while being treated at the hospital with the security guard and the other two.
She uttered: “The gang of at least 15 suspects who sped away from the scene in a Toyota Quantum and a Toyota Corolla Prestige are being sought.
The Crime Stop Hotline number is 0860010111. Anyone with information or who may have witnessed what happened is urged to call. Callers are reminded that they can remain anonymous.”
The administration of the SAPS has expressed regret and shock over the deaths of three officers in a catastrophic car accident that occurred in Vereeniging on Wednesday morning.
According to Mathe, the three Vereeniging Police Station officers were engaged in crime prevention patrols at the time of the collision when a truck reportedly failed to stop at a four-way intersection.
The three SAPS officers were pronounced dead at the spot, she said. “The truck rammed into the SAPS vehicle and dragged the said car for at least 500 metres till it came to a rest.
These three have been named as Captain Shashape Theletsane (58), a veteran with 34 years of duty, Warrant Officer Aaron Mfazwe (54), a veteran with 26 years of service, and Constable Timothy Mbele (45), a veteran with eight years of regular employment.
Mbele had previously spent nine years as a police reserve officer.
“A case of culpable murder and reckless and negligent driving is being looked into after the truck driver was detained.
The assault and death of these officers occur a few days after the annual SAPS Commemoration Day, which saw 33 colleagues lose their lives while doing their duties in the fiscal year 2021–2022 “Mathe added.
The four officers’ family, friends, and coworkers have all received sympathy messages from Commissioner Masemola. He also expressed his best wishes for the two members’ quick recovery.
“We are coming for each and every one of the criminals; we are not going to let them roam free and do as they please.
Every individual in our nation who is discovered to be breaking the law will have our attention, said Masemola.