Cape Town - The national police commissioner Khehla Sitole on Tuesday condemned the attack on police officers who responded to business robberies at two filling stations in Nongoma, KwaZulu Natal on Monday morning.
In a statement, police spokeswoman Brenda Muridili said members of Nongoma visible policing were ambushed while responding to calls of business robberies at two filling stations.
“On arrival at the scene they were met by a hail of bullets and they retaliated. Suspects fled the scene and three police officers have been injured and were taken to hospital,” said Muridili.
General Sitole commended the members for their bravery. “Our members are fearless and this incident bears witness that we, as the police will not be deterred. We will continue with our endeavours to ensure that the citizens of this country are and feel safe. We will always put our lives in the line in pursuit of our Constitutional mandate,” Sitole said.
He also wished the injured members a speedy recovery. “I have directed that the provincial management to ensure that all the members that responded to these business robberies be supported and afforded a debriefing by our Employee Health and Wellness."
The chairperson of the portfolio committee on police, Francois Beukman, also condemned the attack and said that the committee favoured the deployment of specialized units in hotspot areas.
"We cannot allow a situation where highly armed criminals attack members of the SAPS," Beukman said, adding that the spread of illegal firearms continued to be a worrying trend that deserved maximum effort aimed at ridding the country of these firearms.
Police urged anyone with information to contact their nearest police station or call the Crime Stop number 08600 10111, callers may remain anonymous and information received will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.