Cape Ton - The family of the police officer, who was killed along with his friend in Khayelitsha, has welcomed the arrest of two suspects.
Off-duty officer, Sergeant Silulami Qagana, was shot near his Site C home on January 26 while chatting with his friend Masixole Noncuncu, 33, in Solomon Tshuku Street.
Qagana was declared dead on arrival at hospital, while Noncuncu succumbed to his wounds at Khayelitsha Day Hospital.
Qagana’s brother, Mthunzi Qagana, said the father of two was at home when he decided to go and buy cigarettes at a spaza shop.
“Earlier that evening he was with his friends and then he decided to go home to his wife and children.
“He was a smoker, so he decided to go to the shop. His friends were still outside by a car. There were four of them; the two others managed to escape the gun attack.”
On Thursday, while a memorial service for Qagana was held at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court where he worked, two men were arrested by Hawks detectives.
Sinethemba Peter, 32, and Khanyile Yiweni, 24, made their first appearance in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
Hawks spokesperson, Siyabulela Vukubi, said: “The Hawks’ Bellville-based National Priority Violent Crime team in conjunction with the Western Cape Flying Squad swiftly arrested two suspects aged 24 and 32 for their alleged involvement in the murder of a police official.
“During investigations the suspects were identified and arrested. They appeared in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on Friday, the matter was postponed to February 8 for bail information.
“The Western Cape provincial head of the Hawks, Major General Mathipa Makgato, applauded the team for the swift and prompt arrest of the suspects and reiterated that the Hawks will leave no stone unturned whenever a police official is killed,” said Vukubi.