Cape Town – A South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldier who shot dead his girlfriend and her female friend, wounding two others was still on the run several hours after the shooting incident on Tuesday.
SANDF spokesman Brigadier General Mafi Mgobozi confirmed that police were still seeking the man shortly before 10pm on Tuesday.
A statement released earlier read: “The South African National Defence Force on Tuesday confirmed that one of its soldiers shot dead his girlfriend and her female friend, wounding two others in the process, including a police officer who tried to intervene, in Ntuzuma, outside Durban.
“The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) confirms that on Tuesday, 31 January 2017, a member of SANDF from 8 South African Infantry Battalion (8 SAI) in Upington, Northern Cape, in possession of an R4 Assault Rifle, fatally shot two civilian females and wounded a third civilian (female) and a policeman in the Ntuzuma area in the KwaZulu Natal Province.”
According to the statement police had activated its Tactical Response Team (TRT) to track down the soldier. The military police had also been dispatched to the scene of the shootings.
No comment was immediately available from police.
“The SANDF will cooperate with the law enforcement agencies to ensure that the law takes its course. The SANDF will not tolerate, condone nor dismiss any type or form of ill-discipline committed by any of its members regardless of rank, status or position held no matter the circumstances and or situation under which the transgression(s) are committed,” read the statement further.
Mgobozi said that the soldier held the rank of rifleman and had not been on duty in Durban.
“He was supposed to go on guard duty yesterday. He drew his weapon and then disappeared,” he said.