Pretoria – An officer from the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) will appear in court on Monday morning in connection with the tavern shooting which left least two people dead and others injured earlier this month.
EMPD spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Kelebogile Thepa told IOL that she was going to the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court, where the accused officer was scheduled to appear.
“Yes, we can confirm that the member is currently in police custody and is set to appear today. Although the main charge might be murder, I will be able to tell you with certainty what are the charges preferred on our member. I will be able to later provide you with the details after attending court,” she said.
It is understood that the suspected killer was arrested on Friday.
During the attack, a group of gunmen entered a tavern in Katlehong and randomly opened fire on the patrons. Two died and at least four were injured in the attack.
South African has been rocked by a series of random shootings at taverns in different provinces, which have left several people dead.
On Saturday, police in Gauteng appealed for information after two people were killed and seven wounded when gunmen fired shots randomly at patrons sitting outside a tavern in Ga-Rankuwa, north of Pretoria.
The incident happened before midnight on Friday.
The unidentified assailants were travelling in a silver VW Polo. Police in Gauteng said the motive of the shooting was unknown at this stage.
The police are investigating two cases of murder and seven of attempted murder.
“Anyone who may have information about the incident or the suspects, is urged to report at the nearest police station or on the Crime Stop Hotline at 08600 10111 and anonymous tip-offs can also be reported via My SAPS App,” the South African Police Service appealed.
“All information received will be treated as strictly confidential.”
Last week, a 33-year-old man was shot dead in another shooting at the Monaco tavern in Mamelodi, east of Tshwane.
Police said three armed suspects wearing balaclavas arrived at the venue, found a group of people sitting around and started firing shots in the air.
They then allegedly shot one person twice, fatally wounding the victim.
Police said the motive for this shooting was also unknown and a case of murder was under investigation.
In another tavern incident earlier this month, at least 16 people were killed during a mass shooting in Soweto.
During a visit to the Soweto tavern, Police Minister Bheki Cele said crime scene experts had recovered at least 130 used bullet casings of AK47 assault rifles.
“(This) means that those people that were there really meant business of killing. In an AK47, at any given time you put 30 bullets in it, which means time and again, they would reload,” Cele said.
“There is suspicion that there were about three of those rifles among those five people (assailants) who were identified there.”
IOL