A Lingelethu police officer is recovering in hospital after a failed attempt by armed thugs to rob the station.
The officer was shot in the face when three robbers armed with R5s and a 9mm stormed the station in the morning yesterday, Wednesday June 28.
It is believed they wanted to rob the station. They entered the station between 2 and 3am, prompting an exchange of fire with the police.
They escaped with nothing, leaving the officer injured. He was taken to Melomed Hospital in Mitchell’s Plain and later transferred to Gatesville, in Athlone.
Colonel Fana Dlamini said one of the thugs came as a complainant, but when his two accomplices came with R5s he took out a 9mm pistol and started shooting at the officer.
“We are very unhappy about this. We offer services to the community and the same community attacks us,” he said. “But we defended ourselves, the station and goverment resources.”
He added that the shooting started at the charge office and continued outside. He said the officer sustained minor injury.
The Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) has criticised the “military style attack” and hailed the officer for the “fightback”.
KDF chairperson Ndithi Tyhido said: “The KDF salutes SAPS Lingelethu for the heroic fight back that has prevented the assailants from gaining access to more weapons to terrorise our community.”