A member of the SAPS crime intelligence unit in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, was shot dead and his colleague wounded when they responded to information regarding the theft of diesel at a mine.
According to Hawks spokesperson Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi, the officer and his colleague from the Middelburg detective service responded to the information in the early hours of the morning on Monday and drove to the relevant mine near the N4.
“On the way to the mine they spotted a yellow diesel tanker that matched the description. The officers made a U-turn and stopped the tanker. Three men got out of the tanker and opened fire on the officers.”
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Both officers were shot and wounded. One officer later succumbed to his injuries while the other officer was taken to a hospital in Middelburg for treatment.
The suspects fled the scene abandoning their truck. Three handguns, ammunition and mobile phones were seized.
Maj. Gen. Nico Gerber, head of the Hawks in Mpumalanga, condemned the attack on the police officers. “It is a sad day when police officers are shot dead while carrying out their duties.”
