An off-duty detective attached to the Philippi East police station was killed in front of his house in Delft on Sunday.
The 44-year-old Detective Sergeant Nkosinathi Wellem was reportedly shot and killed around 9:45pm outside his home in Thubelitsha.
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‘The member, who was stationed at the Philippi East Police Station, was off duty at the time of the incident,’ provincial police spokesperson Colonel Andre Traut told News24.
Detectives attached to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the DPCI or also known as the Hawks) are investigating the incident.
A community leader of Philippi East, who wished to speak to the publication anonymously, said the neighbourhood is devastated by the news, adding that an attack on a law enforcement officer is an attack on the state.
‘The police are targets to the criminals who are targeting their firearms. Maybe they wanted to rob him of his firearm.’
He also appealed to the community to help protect law enforcement officers and urged anyone with information to come forward.
‘You can’t tell me that these criminals are not known in the area. These criminals are our children or brothers. I believe there was someone who saw it when the incident happened.’
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