DURBAN - ONE of the slain KwaZulu-Natal Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) officers stationed at Mtubatuba was laid to rest on Monday.
Two RTI inspectors, Sizwe Sithole, 49, and Mxolisi Lamula ,35, were shot and killed while they were patrolling in the Mtubatuba area on August 30. Three men have been arrested.
Sithole was buried on Monday.
Lamula’s funeral will be on Saturday with a memorial service scheduled for Wednesday. Sithole’s funeral coincided with the appearance of Philani “Mubi” Vincent Yaka, 32, at the Mtubatuba Magistrate’s Court on charges of murder and robbery.
Yaka was also implicated in the murder of Sergeant Nkosinathi Ngcobo, 41, who was stationed at Richards Bay police station. He was killed on August 27. Yaka will appear in court on Wednesday.
Hawks spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo said two others were arrested with Yaka on Friday.
Mhlongo said they were parolees. They were found in possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. The firearms will be sent for ballistic testing to ascertain if they were used in the commission of other crimes. They will appear in the Esikhawini Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
Lamula’s brother Mnqobi said the family hoped for a hefty sentence to be handed down to those involved. Lamula had one child.
Mnqobi said his brother and his fiancée had been planning their wedding. It was postponed in February because of Covid-19 restrictions.
“He was very close to his child Akhanya, they were inseparable,” he said.
Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) spokesperson Richard Mamabolo said the killing of officers on a regular basis had become problematic. “Interviews should be conducted with various inmates in determining their motives when committing crime.
“Maybe this will also shed light on motives behind the targeted attacks on officers.”
Daily News