Gauteng’s minister for community safety, Firoz Cachalia, expressed anger and shock at the killing of a police officer at a roadblock in Johannesburg on Thursday.
”It is very saddening to see these kinds of vicious attacks on members who are dedicated to serving their communities,” he said on Friday.
The shooting occurred after Brixton police had stopped a minibus taxi near the Campus Square shopping centre, Auckland Park, to conduct a routine search at about 4.15pm.
While passengers were leaving the vehicle, one of them drew a firearm and shot at two police officers, hitting them in the chest and neck, and injuring a woman passenger in the arm.
The gunman was shot dead by police in Kingsway Road after he tried to hijack a Toyota Corolla waiting at a traffic light.
He had an unlicensed firearm with the serial number filed off.
The wounded officers were rushed to Milpark hospital, where one died at about 7.30pm on Thursday evening.
Cachalia expressed his condolences to the family of the dead officer. He said the continued attacks on police officers is an assault on democracy itself, and more reason to intensify the war on crime.
He warned the public that there will be a number of roadblocks and searches during the festive season as part of an annual drive to ensure community safety.
”We appeal to members of the public to be cooperative and support the police’s efforts,” he said. — Sapa