Two police officers shot dead while responding to business robbery near Mthatha
Two police officers were killed while responding to a business robbery at a spaza shop in Libode, near Mthatha, South Africa. The perpetrators stole the officers' service pistols, prompting a massive police investigation and a search for the suspects.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the ongoing challenges of violent crime and the dangers faced by law enforcement in South Africa.
Two police officers were shot and killed while responding to a business robbery in Libode near Mthatha, Eastern Cape.
The two members, aged 51 and 30, were attached to the Mthatha National Intervention Unit and Mthatha Public Order Policing Unit respectively.
According to police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, the members responded to a call for assistance relating to an alleged business robbery at a spaza shop in the Ziphunzana section of the area.
“The two officers were subsequently found with gunshot wounds,” Mathe said.
“Their service pistols were also taken by the perpetrators.”
Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane has directed that no resources be spared in the pursuit of the perpetrators.
A multidisciplinary team has been mobilised.
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