Police officer killed in foiled cash in transit heist shoot-out was from Murchison
The officer was previously based at the Port Shepstone K9 Unit.
One of the slain police officers killed during a shoot-out with heavily armed robbers in KwaNongoma last Friday is from Murchison and was previously an officer based at the Port Shepstone Saps K9 unit.
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Warrant Officer Sfundo Erasmus Musa (39) from the Special Task Force (STF) and his colleagues came under attack during an attempted cash-in-transit robbery.
Warrant Officer Musa his colleague Lieutenant-Colonel Carl van der Vyver (51) and seven robbers died. Officers of the South African Police Service’s Special Task Force and Crime Intelligence (CI) were following up on intelligence that a cash-in-transit vehicle was going to be attacked. At about 7pm last Friday a group of heavily armed suspects attacked the security vehicle and used explosives to access the cash along Hlabisa Road.
However officers from the SAPS, STF and Ci responded speedily which resulted in a shootout between them and the robbers. National police spokesman, Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said the two officers and seven suspects were killed and a woman officer was shot in the leg and is recovering in hospital. “Four AK-47 assault rifles have been recovered. A BMW which was used by the suspects was reportedly used during other robberies,” said Brig Naidoo.
Last Sunday Minister of Police Bheki Cele visited the family of Warrant Officer Musa at his home in Murchison.
The National Commissioner, General Khehla John Sitole has conveyed his deepest condolences to the families of the fallen police officers and wished the wounded officer a speedy recovery.
“This is yet another sad day for both the South African Police Service as well as South Africa at large for every time the life of a police officer is lost in combat, the nation mourns, ” said General Sitole.
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