A series of violent incidents across the Western Cape over the weekend has left one police officer dead and several suspects behind bars following swift police operations.
Authorities were left reeling after a 31-year-old female constable attached to Bishop Lavis Police Station was found shot dead in her vehicle near a primary school in Langa on Saturday morning. She was reportedly on her way to a church service after leaving her home in Kraaifontein the previous evening.
A murder investigation has been launched by detectives from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation. No arrests have been made in connection with her killing.
Tributes have poured in for the fallen officer, described by community leaders as a respected and well-loved member of the police service. The killing has sparked outrage, with calls for justice and tougher action against those who target law enforcement personnel.
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In a separate incident, a 35-year-old administrative clerk with Kraaifontein SAPS was shot dead in the parking area near the Gatesville Mosque in Athlone on Saturday afternoon. A 56-year-old woman was also injured in the same shooting and taken for medical treatment.
Elsewhere, police responded to a shooting in Humansdorp on Friday, resulting in the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of a firearm stolen in 2014. The suspects face charges including unlawful possession of a firearm and discharging a weapon in a municipal area.
On Saturday, the Colesberg Highway Patrol intercepted a stolen vehicle linked to a house robbery in Table View. Three men were arrested, and police recovered laptops, cell phones, and other valuables. The suspects, aged between 24 and 36, have been charged with possession of suspected stolen vehicles and property.
Meanwhile, police in Saldanha have opened an arson case after a fire destroyed a home in Middelpos on Friday.