by Zainul Dawood and Samkelo Mtshali
Durban - A KwaZulu-Natal constable is heartsore at the thought of wearing her SAPS blues, fearing it will bring back memories of how her younger sister, also a policewoman, was gunned down early on Tuesday.
“I don’t even know how I’m going to wear my police uniform because it will be a sad reminder of how my sister was killed in the line of duty,” said Constable Thenjiwe Ndlovu, 39.
She was speaking to the Daily News at the family home in Creighton.
Ndlovu's sister, Ntombifikile "Bedle" Ndlovu, 36, was shot while responding to an ATM bombing at the Boxer Superstores in Ixopo.
The SAPS bakkie she was travelling in was hit by a hail of bullets at about 1.30am as police arrived at the store, on Main Road, in the southern KZN town.
Ntombifikile, a constable, had served in the police force since 2009. She leaves behind three children, including a 9-month-old daughter.
Four Boxer Superstores have been robbed in the province in the space of eight hours by gunmen.
The stores were at Jolivet, Hammarsdale, Ixopo and Hlabisa. A robbery attempt at a fifth store, in Bergville, was foiled.
Ndlovu recalled how she and her sister had discussed the dangers of being police officers one day before tragedy struck.
“Yesterday (Monday), we were together in Ixopo, doing groceries for the family and allocating money to the different household needs as we always did on payday, and she was in good spirits.
“I was wearing my uniform and she told me to be careful about wearing my uniform in Ixopo because of the recent spate of robberies, as I could be a target, not knowing she was going to be a victim of these crimes,” said Ndlovu.
She said they had planned to meet yesterday after her sister had knocked off from her nightshift. But, it was not to be.
Ntombifikile’s 17-year-old daughter was preparing for her Grade 10 examinations at Little Flower High School, in Ixopo, while her 14-year-old son was in Grade 9 at Sonyogwana High School in the Creighton area, said Ndlovu.
“I am badly hurt by what has happened because together we were the breadwinners in the family.
“She was a pillar of strength and we moved from Toocee Valley after we bought our family a home here in Creighton,” said Ndlovu.
Their widowed mother, Mavis Ndlovu, 61, sat solemnly on a mattress observing the customary African mourning procedure.
S'busiso Ndlovu, 37, the dead policewoman's older brother, said: “My sister was so humble and respectful and even though I am married, she, alongside my surviving daughter, always helped me with everything.”
The burial is planned for Saturday.
Meanwhile, police have yet to positively link the robberies, but the modus operandi and the weapons used were similar.
Police sources believe that the gunmen targeted the stores because they were believed to be keeping money for pension payouts as well as month-end cash takings.
Police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Thulani Zwane said police had acted on a tip-off that a store would be burgled in Bergville, just before midnight on Monday.
He said police arrived at the store and arrested three men.
The men, aged between 30 and 40, were expected to appear in the Bergville Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, at 6.45am, four men armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols held up the security guard and the manager at the store in Jolivet, in southern KZN. Zwane said they forced them to open the safe.
The robbers fled in a black Mercedes-Benz with an undisclosed amount of money.
Highflats police are investigating a case of business robbery. No arrests have been made.
In Hlabisa, Zwane said an assistant manager and a security guard who were opening the shop were confronted by six men with firearms.
“They instructed them to be quiet and demanded money from the assistant manager. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken. No shots were fired. A case of business robbery was opened at Hlabisa police station,” Zwane said.
He confirmed that on the same morning, the ATM area inside Boxer Superstore in Ixopo Main Road was blown up by robbers.
Boxer Superstores spokesman Andrew Mills said an undisclosed amount of money was taken.
He said the store was closed during the robbery and none of the staff was hurt.
The incident is being investigated by Ixopo police.
Also on Tuesday, a cash-in transit delivery company taking money to an ATM inside the Boxer Hammarsdale branch was held up.
“Boxer extends its sincere condolences to the SAPS colleagues and the family of the slain officer,” Mills said.
Trauma counselling would be provided for those affected, he said.
Mills said the exact amount of money taken during the robberies was still being tallied.
“All our stores continue to trade. Boxer has a close working relationship with the SAPS and continues to do everything in its power to curb such criminal incidents,” Mills said.