National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said a team of specialised detectives from the district office of the SAPS in Mthatha are hot on the heels of the suspects wanted.
The Godini village community came together to clean Lugongozo Junior Secondary School after a bloody weekend where six patrollers were killed near Qumbu in the Eastern Cape.
A group of alleged stock thieves ambushed 16 Community Police Forum (CPF) members on Sunday night while they assembled at the school, which was used as a meeting point before patrols. Six of them were killed in a hail of bullets, while four were wounded.
One family lost two members – a father and a son – with a second son hospitalised.
The Eastern Cape Education Department confirmed that the school remained closed on Tuesday as the blood stains were being cleaned.
National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said they had a positive lead in the case.
“A team of specialised detectives from the district office of the SAPS in Mthatha are hot on the heels of the suspects wanted. The investigation is ongoing and arrests are imminent in this regard,” said Masemola.
“The detective leads are pointing at ongoing stock theft-related matters between the affected village and other neighbouring villages.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa extended his condolences to the families of the victims.
He welcomed a police report about an intensive investigation into the incident and the positive lead.
Ramaphosa said: “Our thoughts are with the families of these community members who died in the course of playing their part to keep their area safe.
“Following so soon after an equally tragic shooting at Lusikisiki, this new incident saddens and outrages us.
“However, it should also add to our resolve to stop criminals from terrorising communities in the mistaken belief that they’re untouchable. They will be brought to justice alongside anyone who harbours such criminals and does not report information to the authorities.
“Government will continue to work with communities to ensure our homes, neighbourhoods and public spaces are safe and that criminals know they will pay for their deeds.”
Community Safety MEC Xolile Nqatha expressed outrage and vowed that no amount of criminality will deter the government and police from the mission of creating safer communities in the province.
“I am utterly shocked by the increasing level of disdain and callous nature of criminality in the province. I wish to convey our message of condolences to the families of the deceased.
I want to assure the people of this province that no criminality will break our resolve to defeat lawlessness,” said Nqatha.
He called for calm and asked that police be allowed to investigate in order to find the suspects.
Cape Times