Durban - A man shot dead an off-duty Durban constable at the weekend in Springfield, after the officer questioned him about a firearm in his possession.
Constable Lindokuhle Goba, 41, of the Durban Dog Unit, was travelling in his vehicle in Quarry Road East when the incident occurred.
According to an incident report, which “The Mercury” has seen, the officer, who was travelling with a passenger, saw four men coming out of a shisanyama and one of them was armed.
Goba questioned the man about the firearm and the man opened fire on him. He returned fire but was killed.
The passenger in the vehicle was injured, while the four men fled the scene, the report said.
Another serious crime report, which The Mercury has seen, said a witness reported that prior to the shooting there was an altercation at the shisanyama as four men wanted to enter the premises with a firearm which was not allowed on the premises.
Goba’s younger brother Monwa Goba said: “This took us all by surprise because we did not expect something like this, but we are trying to be strong. We also want justice for whoever did this to our brother.”
KZN Hawks spokesperson Simphiwe Mhlongo said the matter initially was investigated by the Mayville police station but had since been handed to the Hawks for investigation.
The murder came after a 42-year-old police sergeant was shot dead while he was asleep in his residence on January 9. In that case, Mhlongo said, Richards Bay Serious Organised Crime investigators were investigating a case of murder.
National police commissioner General Fannie Masemola recently said police management were concerned about the ongoing attacks on and killing of police officers.
A total of 22 police officers were killed between July and September 2022, according to crime statistics released in November.