A police constable from Ematsheni, Bergville is facing murder charges. The 36-year-old officer allegedly severely assaulted a man in the Ematsheni area on August 27.
“The policeman was off duty when he was contacted by a member of the public who spotted a person selling second-hand items,” explained police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala.
The off duty officer proceeded to the area to investigate where he allegedly assaulted 33-year-old Themba Hlongwane, who later died of the injuries. The constable was arrested last Tuesday, November 29 and appeared briefly in the Ladysmith Magistrate’s Court. He was granted R1 000 bail and the case has been remanded for January 19.
KwaZulu-Natal Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Bheki Langa issued a stern warning to police officers that such behaviour will not be tolerated in the South African Police Service (SAPS).
“It is very disappointing that a person who must enforce and uphold the law is the one who is breaking it. We commend detectives who investigated the case and arrested the perpetrator. This swift action by our detectives is once again an indication of our commitment to weed out bad elements from the ranks of the SAPS,” he said.
