Court hears of cop’s final moments

Independent Newspapers

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Cape Town - Grim details have emerged of how a cop fought for his life after being ambushed by two gunmen.

Sandile Ncaphayi, 19, appeared at the Khayelitsha Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday where he was hoping to get bail.

The teenager is accused of the brutal murder of Superintendent Mpumelelo Xakekile, 50, on October 10, 2012.

The dedicated officer had stopped to pull over a taxi when he came under fire.

He was standing at the rear of the taxi talking to the driver when two men approached.

On Tuesday Investigating Officer Detective Hisham Cloete told the court about Xakekile’s last moments alive.

“Two males [suspects] passed over the bridge and witnesses overheard one male saying in Xhosa ‘This s*** [referring to the officer] is alone’,” he told the court.

“They moved to the front of the taxi and went to the back, one witness said one of the suspects took out a firearm from his waist.

“He came between the driver and the officer and pushed the deceased into the road.

“Both males shot at the deceased while he was lying on the road.”

Cloete says Xakekile was found with his service pistol lying next to his body and had fired two shots from it.

A witness claims Ncaphayi ran past him after the shooting, holding one gun and with another stuck in his waist.

In court Ncaphayi, dressed in a pink T-shirt and black tracksuit pants, sat quietly.

Ncaphayi’s defence attorney, Mabhuti Mgwebile, also questioned the credibility of the ID parade where only one of the eight witnesses positively identified his client.

Daily Voice