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Violence intensifies as third Cape Town law enforcement officer ambushed in just over a month

Violence intensifies as third Cape Town law enforcement officer ambushed in just over a month
Velani Ludidi
By Velani Ludidi
4 Sep 2023
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An off-duty officer is in hospital after being shot in the head just after midnight in Hillview in Lavender Hill, Cape Town.

Yet another City of Cape Town law enforcement officer came under attack over the weekend. The officer was off duty at the time of the incident. 

According to police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi, the shooting incident occurred at about 00:30 on Saturday in Potberg Road, Hillview, where a 30-year-old man was shot and wounded is under investigation. 

“Muizenberg police attended to the crime scene where they found the victim with a gunshot to his head,” said Swartbooi. “He was transported to the hospital for medical treatment. According to reports, the victim was walking in the road when he was approached by unknown suspects who shot him. The unknown suspects fled the scene and are yet to be arrested. The motive for the attack is yet to be determined.” 

He also said an attempted murder case was registered for investigation.

This is the third shooting of a law enforcement officer in just over a month and mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith condemned the incident in the strongest terms.

“The City calls on members of the public to help track a suspect who shot an off-duty law enforcement officer in Hillview,” he said. 

“We are very grateful that the officer survived, and will assist him and his family on his road to recovery. We are doing everything possible to assist SAPS in finding those responsible.

However, we ask anyone with information about the incident to please report it to the City’s 24-hour tip-off line on 0800 11 00 77.” 

Smith added that the municipality will pay a reward for information that leads to a successful arrest and prosecution in this case.

Law enforcement under fire


Another officer, Zamikhaya Kwinana, was murdered on 4 August during a volatile taxi trike that gripped the city around that time. 

Read more in Daily Maverick: Emotional farewell for two Cape Town safety officers shot dead in their thirties

An ‘unprecedented’ reward of R1.35-million is being offered for information that would lead to an arrest in the case.

The City at the time of the tragic incident said Kwinana was a passenger in a marked Law Enforcement vehicle driving in Nyanga just after 8 pm when the vehicle came under heavy fire on Friday 4 August. 

“When his colleagues realised he had been hit, they sped off to Heideveld Day Hospital, but the officer was declared deceased on arrival — he had sustained gunshot wounds to the head,” read the statement. 

In another attack involving another officer, Toufeeq Williams was murdered in Mitchells Plain on 30 July.

He had been off duty at the time.

A suspect believed to be a gangster was arrested in Grassy Park by local police in connection with the shooting of Williams.

Read more in Daily Maverick: SAPS confirm arrest of suspect linked to murder of Cape Town Leap officer Toufeeq Williams

Before the arrest, a reward of R100,000 was offered by the municipality to anyone with information that might lead to the arrest and successful prosecution. DM

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