An off-duty police officer, stationed at the Cape Town court and another man were fatally shot in a Khayelitsha street.
Sergeant Silulami Qagana, 40, and Masixole Noncuncu, 33, were standing on Solomon Tshuku Street in Site C on Friday evening when they were struck by bullets.
A few moments before the shooting, another off-duty officer ran past them and told them he was being chased by unknown people.
According to a leaked police report, the deceased officer was dressed in civilian clothes, and was stationed at Cape Town Central SAPS and Magistrate’s Court was walking from home to a nearby Spaza shop to buy cigarettes.
The report reads: “While walking, he met a group of young men who stay in the neighbourhood. He started to talk to them.
“They were standing in front of house Solomon Tshuku Street, Site C. While standing with them, a known police official in the vicinity came running towards them telling them that he was being chased.
“While they were shocked by what the official was telling them, three armed African males appeared from an opposite footpath and started shooting at them.
“Sergeant Qagana and another male person, Masixole Noncuncu, residing in Kuils River, sustained gunshot wounds as a result of the shooting. Sergeant Qagana was transported to Mitchells Plain Melomed and he was declared dead on arrival.
“Noncuncu was transported to Khayelitsha Day Hospital and was also declared dead on arrival.
“There is no indication that the suspects took any of the victims’ belongings and the motive is unknown at this stage.”
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm Pojie said: “Khayelitsha police have opened a double murder case to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths of two men.”
Western Cape Police Oversight and Community Safety, MEC Reagen Allen, said his stance remains that an attack on any law enforcement officer, including a SAPS member, is an attack on the State, as these men and women are the defenders of the country’s laws.
Allen says: “Perpetrators in this instance should face the relevant penalties. At this stage, the motive is unknown.
“I urge those with information to make it available to all law enforcement agencies, so that the perpetrators can be apprehended.”
He appealed to anyone with information regarding the cop killing to anonymously contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111.