Police have launched a manhunt for the killer of the Deputy Chairperson of the Delft community police forum, Jamiel Spannenberg, who was killed in an armed robbery.
The crime fighter was delivering bread with his truck at the time of the attack on Saturday morning in Delft South in Mozart Street.
Cops say his firearm was stolen during the incident.
Police spokesman Colonel André Traut says: “On Saturday morning at around 10.20am, a 50-year-old man was shot and killed next to his truck in Mozart Street, Delft South, in what appears to be an armed robbery.
“The suspect fled with the victim’s licensed firearm and is yet to be arrested.
“The circumstances are being investigated.”
Jamiel’s grieving brother, Mark Spannenberg, says they’ve lost a big asset to the community: “(It’s a huge loss) not just for the family but he was a pillar of the community.
“It’s really sad to lose him this way, the route he delivered to was a dangerous one and had a lot of armed robberies.”
“There have been numerous times when Jamiel reported that there were cars following the trucks, wanting to rob the trucks or shops when they exchanged the money.
“And at the end of the day the gangsters waited for him as he delivered.”
CPF chairperson Reginald Maart says they are shocked by the murder and has urged police to act fast and arrest the killer.
“We lost a hero, we lost a crime fighter. As the CPF, we are very saddened by the incident. We’ve got our best teams investigating.”
Maart demanded that the police and government offer a reward to people with information about the murder.
“The Delft CPF is demanding that SAPS as well as the Department of Community Safety embrace the call for a cash reward to be offered to any person that offers concrete information in connection with the shooting that took place in Delft South on Saturday morning that left the Deputy Chairperson of the Delft Police Forum dead.
“Around 10am on Saturday, Delft police were called to Mozart Street, Delft South, where they discovered that Jamiel Spannenberg was shot and killed.
“Jamiel sacrificed his life to ensure that the Delft community would live in a safer environment,” he added.
“Putting out a reward will give the Delft community some sense that something concrete is being done for the swift arrest in order for justice to prevail and that these perpetrators be brought to book.”
Spannenberg leaves behind his wife and three daughters and his janaazah will be held at 3pm this afternoon at his Leiden home.