The South African Police Service (SAPS) station commander of Elandskraal Police Station south of Polokwane, was seriously wounded while attending to a complaint of domestic violence at Mbuzini village on Saturday morning, Limpopo police said.
"The police were contacted by a caller from Nelspruit in Mpumalanga, that there is a woman at Mbuzini village under [the] Elandskraal policing area who is always assaulted by her partner and that the victim wanted to go back home in Nelspruit," the SAPS in Limpopo said in a statement on Sunday.
The station commander, accompanied by a SAPS reservist, immediately attended to the complaint. On arrival, the victim indicated that she wanted to move from the house, as her boyfriend regularly assaulted her. While the officers were assisting her, the suspect suddenly stabbed the captain, seriously wounding him. The suspect then fled from the scene. The wounded captain had been admitted to hospital and was in a stable condition.
A search operation, which included a police helicopter, was immediately launched for the suspect, but he could not be located. Indications were that he might have fled to the nearby mountains at Mbuzini, the SAPS said.
Limpopo acting police commissioner Maj-Gen Jan Scheepers strongly condemned the attack on the captain. “As the police are vigorously engaged in fighting the scourge of gender-based violence, we cannot allow a situation where police members are attacked, trying to protect the most vulnerable members of society. All police members involved in this operation must spare no effort in hunting down the suspect and bringing him to book,” Scheepers said.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the suspect is requested to contact Warrant Officer Ouma Salome Lebelo on 082-414-674 or the Crime Stop number 086-00-10111.