Cape Town - The Hawks have tracked down the alleged killer of an Eastern Cape Police officer who was found recovering in a Cape Town hospital.
The Hawks team in East London had traced the 24-year-old suspect to a Cape Town hospital after he had been shot and wounded.
Sergeant Phumlani Dastile, who was attached to the Eastern Cape Provincial Organised Crime Unit, was gunned down during a business robbery in Zwelitsha Zone in August 2021.
Captain Yolisa Mgolodela said the suspect is expected to appear in court once he had recovered and that his accomplice would also face the dock again,
“On September 13, an East London-based team of the Hawks arrested and charged an additional suspect aged 24 for Sergeant Dastile’s murder.
“He was tracked and traced to a hospital in Cape Town where he is being treated for gunshot wounds that he allegedly suffered in a shootout on September 10.
“The suspect is expected to appear in the Zwelitsha Magistrate’s Court as soon as he is discharged from hospital where he is under police guard. His alleged accomplice, Kwanga Nojaholo, 36, is still in custody and will reappear on September 30.
Recently, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) raised their concern about the spate of police killings.
They called for the immediate safety of officers, stating it impacted negatively on their morale.
Richard Mamabolo of Popcru said: “We need to remind ourselves that when out there enforcing law and order, the law is on our side to respond decisively when confronted by criminals.
“Our police officers should not die with their firearms.
“However, it has been far too long that the issues of police safety have been put by the wayside, and we cannot afford to stand idle.
“We urgently need a formulation of protective and preventive strategies necessary to protect our police officers".
“There must be improved efforts to better understand why police officers continue to be killed in South Africa, as well as to formulate and recommend preventative, interventionist and protective strategies and measures to reduce the number of officers being killed yearly.
“Such high levels have had a negative impact on the morale of officers, while also traumatising those witnessing such incidents.”
Weekend Argus