A SUSPECT linked to the attack on four police officers, in which Sergeant Holeng Makobe (39) succumbed to his injuries at the scene and three constables sustained gunshot wounds, has committed suicide.
The police attached to Mabopane Police Station were on a crime prevention patrol on Friday, 22 September when they stopped a suspicious looking vehicle, a maroon VW Golf 1.
This is according to Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela, who led the Operation Shanela in Olivenhoutbosch, Tshwane on Saturday, 14 October.
He said police were on a lookout for the suspect. The suspect was cornered on Wednesday, 11 October, and when he saw that there was no way out, he killed himself.
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"We're working around the clock to identify those who were with him when he shot and attacked our policemen. One has been arrested. We're still looking for the others and we'll find them. Now that we know who is responsible for these crimes, it will of course be easy to identify the accomplices. We will make sure we apprehend them," he said.
Mawela said police visibility will be enhanced in all 144 police stations in the province and they'll mobilise all partners - the CPF, patrol officers, SAPS, Gauteng Traffic Police, and Tshwane Metro Police Department and all stakeholders.
"Criminals are out in large numbers and have no regard for people's lives. We have to be prepared for them," he said.
Mawelavaid the Department of Health has also deployed nurses to draw blood from those arrested under the influence of alcohol. He said the official launch for Gauteng will be on Saturday, 21 October 2023 in the Westrand. He said there will be reinforcements on the ground from October to the end of January 2024, and that we will apply zero tolerance to crime.
Most motorists who were driving under the influence of alcohol were arrested.
A 35-year-old motorist said people driving under the influence of alcohol should not be allowed to drive as it causes accidents on the roads and they must stay home for their safety.
