Cradock - Four men allegedly involved in the shooting of Constable Joshua Vincent Gungqa in Cala in the Eastern Cape appeared in the Cradock Magistrate's Court on Monday, the Hawks said.
Gungqa, 44, was off-duty when he was shot and killed on Friday when seven armed men stormed into a supermarket in Cala.
The officer was shot while the group wrestled with him in an attempt to disarm him, said Hawks spokeswoman Captain Anelisa Feni.
“One alleged suspect was also shot and killed at the scene. The suspects then allegedly took an undisclosed amount of cash from one of the tills and then fled the scene with the deceased constable's firearm.”
Masithembele Mbali, 37, Xolisile Maawu, 31, Simphiwe Mkheselele, 32, and Cingile Jamda, 32, were arrested at a roadblock on Saturday.
“Two 9mm pistols were found in their possession. A fifth suspect, a 42-year-old man was arrested after 1am on Monday by the members of the Ngcobo and Cala police stations. He will join the four men in the next court appearance,” Feni said.
Feni said the fifth man led police to the spot where the getaway vehicle used during the robbery was abandoned.
“The Nissan SUV was found burnt and dumped in the Tsomo River. The man also led the police to another site where they had dumped a body of a 36-year-old man whom they had also killed.”
The men face charges of murder and armed robbery and would appear again in the Cala Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.
African News Agency