By Thupeyo Muleya
An unnamed 34-year-old Zimbabwean man was last Friday shot dead by South African police in the Erasmia area, Limpopo province.
The man was reportedly among suspects aged between 26 and 51 years that were caught red-handed by the police cutting steel pipes at a plot in Mooiplas.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) spokesperson Ms Grace Langa said:
“We are investigating a case of death as a result of police action and our team has already attended the crime scene,” said Ms Langa.
“It is alleged that two on-duty police officers reacted to a complaint about some suspects who were cutting steel pipes at a plot in Mooiplas. Upon arrival, the complainant pointed out the suspects to the police.”
She said the police apprehended four suspects, but their accomplices arrived at the scene driving an Isuzu pick-up truck, which the police stopped and ordered all passengers to disembark and lie on the ground.
“They all lay face down except one suspect, a 34-year-old Zimbabwean national who went to the back of the bakkie (pick-up truck) and pulled out a firearm. He was spotted by one of the policemen, who immediately pulled out his service pistol and shot him (the suspect) in the head,” said Ms Langa.
She said while the two policemen were checking on the shot suspect, his accomplices jumped into the vehicle and fled from the scene.
Paramedics were called to attend to the suspect and they certified him dead at the scene.
Ms Langa said IPID investigators collected the police officer’s State-issued firearm as well as the deceased’s unlicensed firearm from the scene for further investigations. The Chronicle
