From 1 April 2025 to date, six police officers have lost their lives to criminal attacks and ambushes.
Police are offering a R300 000 reward to anyone with information on the whereabouts of suspects in the murders of three police officers in two separate shooting incidents in the past 24 hours.
On Friday, 8 August 2025, two police officers attached to the Florida Police Station were disarmed and gunned down while transporting Jabulani Moyo from the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court back to prison after his court appearance for a February 2023 business robbery.
Moyo was last seen driving the abandoned police vehicle, which was later found kilometres from the crime scene.
Police murders
On Saturday, National police commissioner General Fannie Masemola visited the families of the two officers identified as 51-year-old Warrant Officer Vuyisile Sintwa and 45-year-old Sergeant Simon Masenye, who were killed in the line of duty.
Sintwa and Masenye were detectives attached to the Johannesburg Trio Task Team, a unit that is responsible for investigating house and business robberies as well as car hijackings.
Masemola said the murder of the two police officers is not only an attack on the Justice and Crime Prevention Security cluster but a “direct attack on the authority of the rule of law and the state.”
He said in the last financial year, 27 men and women in blue died in the line of duty.
“From 1 April 2025 to date, six police officers have lost their lives to criminal attacks and ambushes.
“These are not just numbers, they were mothers and fathers who have left families behind to fend for themselves. Most of them were breadwinners in their households, but most importantly, they were members who dedicated and laid down their lives in the line of duty by ensuring that all people living in South Africa are safe and protected from callous criminals,” Masemola said.
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Criminals
Masemola said the country cannot remain silent, and it cannot be “business as usual when criminals have clearly declared war on the authority of the state.”
“I am making this call again to all police officers in the country, do not die with the tools and resources that we have given you. The men and women in blue must act appropriately when circumstances allow them to act.
“Remember to always use force that is proportional to the threat. I plead with you, do not let your guard down, always be a step ahead of these criminals to ensure the safety and security of the people of this country,” Masemola said.
Investigations
Masemola said the investigation into the murders of the two detectives is being led by The Hawks.
“We are relying on the bystanders and witnesses as well as evidence gathered at the filling station where they stopped from the Roodepoort Magistrate Court and where the shootings happened. We are following up on every piece of information that will assist us in solving this case.”
Moyo escape
Masemola said police have also established a multidisciplinary team led by crime intelligence searching for Moyo.
“A lot of questions have arisen on whether the awaiting trial prisoner was handcuffed. It is standard procedure that all awaiting trial prisoners must be appropriately restrained and placed at the back of a van.
“On whether Moyo was handcuffed or not and why members were travelling in a sedan, all these questions are under investigation…. For now, our focus is on finding Moyo. We believe he has the answers we are looking for, and we will not rest until we find him,” Masemola said.
Rewards
Masemola said they are offering cash rewards for information.
“We are offering a cash reward for anyone who has information on his [Moyo] whereabouts. We are putting a R150 000 cash reward for anyone who can lead us to where he is,” Masemola said.
“This criminal is very dangerous, do not approach him, he has no regard for life, and we are warning anyone who has information to come forward and not approach this killer.
“We are also offering R150 000 for anyone who can help us find at least 10 suspects who shot and killed 47-year-old Sergeant Lawrence Mtshweni. Sergeant Mtshweni was part of a group of police officers who responded to a business burglary in Schoemansdal when he was shot and killed,” he said.
Masemola has pleaded with police officers on the ground to implement the objectives of the police safety strategy, urging them to make sure their “firearms are in a good working condition and that they have all the necessary tools of trade to do their work.”
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