Durban - The Hawks have arrested an SAPS officer after the murder of two KwaDukuza (Stanger) policemen at the weekend.
According to initial police reports, four policemen – who had been travelling in a police minibus – had stopped at the side of the road when they were attacked by men emerging from nearby bush.
Student Constable Thobani Xulu, 26, of Nkandla, and Constable Sibusiso Mthethwa, 31, of Ngwelezane in Empangeni, were killed.
However, according to sources, one of the four policemen has been arrested.
Police spokesman, Colonel Jay Naicker, said a team of detectives from the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal had made an arrest on Monday.
“A 53-year-old police officer based at KwaDukuza was arrested… after detectives from the Hawks were able to piece together what transpired from the evidence on the scene,” he said.
A suspect is expected to appear in court on Wednesday.
According to a police source,
the suspect had been sitting behind the officers he killed, allegedly shooting them in the back of the head.
Evidently the fourth policeman had been asleep, and when he woke up he was told that the attack came from the surrounding bushes.
Another source said a forensic expert had examined the scene. “There is no sign showing that bullets came from outside.”
According to a police statement issued at the weekend, the policeman had been returning to KwaDukuza from KwaMaphumulo on the R74 at about 1.30am on Saturday when the incident occurred on the outskirts of KwaDukuza.
Naicker said he could not comment on the sources’ allegations, saying all would be revealed when the suspect appeared in court.
Provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Mmamonnye Ngobeni, said: “Whilst we are pleased that the case has been solved, we are extremely disappointed that one of our own could have perpetrated such a cowardly act.
“We will ensure that he gets no favours from the SAPS and faces the full might of the law like all other criminals.”
Daily News