Two on-duty police officers were shot and later died in hospital after a partially successful escape of prisoners last Thursday night from Inyoni SAPS cells near Mandeni.
Warrant officers Siza Nyandeni (59) and Bhekinkosi Gumede (48) were counting prisoners at the cells when two prisoners overpowered one of the officers, took his gun and shot both officers.
Nyandeni and Gumede were first stabilised at Isithebe Clinic before being rushed to hospital where both died overnight. One of the escaped prisoners, Mnqobi Dube (23) was shot dead by another officer during the escape.
Major Thulani Zwane, KZN SAPS spokesperson, said Dube was in prison for a number of robberies. Police are hunting for the other prisoner, Senzo Dube. The service pistol was recovered and cases of murder and robbery have been opened.
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni strongly condemned the killing of two more police officers in the province.
“I want to send condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of officers who were shot and killed on Thursday while executing their duties. I am certain that we will find the suspect who managed to flee so that he can face the consequences of his actions,” she said.
Willies Mchunu, MEC for transport, community safety and liaison said last week at the KZN SAPS excellence awards function that police officers killed by members of the public did not draw the same public outcry as when a civilian is shot and killed by the police.
“Police officers’ lives have no value and criminals show them no mercy,” said Mchunu.
He said unlike civilians, police officers are trained not to run away from danger but to stand their ground.
Lungelo Zulu, chairman of the KZN SAPS youth desk, said police officers were only allowed to shoot to disarm, not to kill and there was a difference between police brutality and police authority that the public needed to understand.
However, he said off-duty officers must maintain proper behaviour otherwise criminals would not respect them when they are on duty.
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