A crime intelligence officer was killed and another was critically wounded on Flanders Drive in Mount Edgecombe on Thursday afternoon.
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Two police officers have been killed and another seriously injured in separate incidents in KwaZulu-Natal, prompting strong condemnation from local community safety structures and police unions.
The KZN Community Policing Forum (CPF) Board and Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) in KZN have described the attacks as a direct assault on the state.
On Thursday, crime intelligence officer, identified as Captain Louis Nel, was killed when he and another officer were ambushed and shot in Mount Edgecombe, Durban.
Nel died at the scene, while the other was airlifted to the hospital.
In a separate incident last Sunday, off-duty Constable Njabulo Cebekhulu was shot as he tried to investigate a gunshot from inside a tavern in Richmond. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died. The suspect handed himself in to the police.
SAPS national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed on Sunday that no arrests have been made in the Mount Edgecombe shooting and the injured officer remained hospitalised.
Following the incident, she said that acting national police commissioner, Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, said maximum resources have been mobilised to hunt down the brazen criminals who attacked the crime intelligence officers.
Mathe said that SAPS specialised units, including crime intelligence operatives, detectives, the organised crime unit and highly-trained police officers, are working around the clock to track down and apprehend those involved.
Dimpane condemned the attack, which she described as an attack on the authority of the state and those who risked their lives in the fight against crime.
“No stone will be left unturned in ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to justice,” Dimpane said.
KZN CPF board secretary Siyanda Biyela, condemned the killing of police officers.
“The killing of a police officer, a civil servant, hinders service delivery in all aspects, especially with regard to the members of the police who are in the forefront of protecting this country,” Biyela said.
He called for community support as criminals are known in communities.
“We’ve been advocating for gun law control for some time now. Everyone in our streets, every corner you go, everyone has a gun on their hip. So, how do we determine if those guns are legal? How do we determine if those guns, even if they are legal, are not being used in criminal activities or used to extort or to instill fear in our communities?” Biyela asked.
He said crime intelligence was integral to providing the information needed to catch criminals terrorising communities, including those involved in construction mafias, drug dealing, and those who stopped service delivery from SAPS or local and provincial governments.
Popcru KZN secretary Nthabeleng Molefe said the attack represented a direct assault on the men and women who dedicated their lives to safeguarding communities.
“The nature of this attack leaves no doubt that this was not an ordinary criminal incident, but a deliberate and organised attempt to eliminate law enforcement officers. Such acts demonstrate the increasing boldness and coordination of criminal elements who are waging a war against the state and its representatives,” Molefe said.
She said that crime intelligence officers, in particular, are at the forefront of confronting organised crime networks, and yet often do so with inadequate protection, limited resources, and under immense operational strain.
“This ambush highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive review of operational safety protocols, intelligence protection measures, and tactical support systems for members deployed in high-risk environments,” Molefe said.
“We call on law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that those responsible for this heinous attack are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice. The perpetrators must understand that attacks on police officers are attacks on the rule of law itself and will not go unpunished.”