A police constable has been shot dead outside her Umlazi home - in an apparent hit - prompting a massive manhunt.
|||Durban - A police constable has been shot dead outside her Umlazi home - in an apparent hit - prompting a massive search for her killer.
Constable Gugu Ximba, 33, the mother of an eight-year-old girl, was shot five times when she stopped outside her gate after work.
Her gun was taken, but her car was left.
Relatives and friends chased the gunman but gave up when he shot at them.
The murder on Monday has been condemned by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Mmamonnye Ngobeni, who has reacted with shock to the killing.
On Monday, Ximba’s younger sister, Simphiwe, said they did not get a good look at the gunman because it was dark.
Tearful and holding on to her older sister Thobile for support, Simphiwe said her sister would stop at the gate at the bottom of the steep driveway and hoot.
“My little cousin Gcino would always run to the gate.
“But on Monday night, when Gcino went to the gate, she started screaming and shouting for help when she heard gunshots.”
Simphiwe said Ximba was still alive in the driver’s seat of her Kia Picanto when they reached her.
They took Ximba to a hospital in Isipingo, but she died on the way.
Her family believe the gunman was waiting for Ximba, who was stationed at the Reunion police station near Isipingo, and knew the time she came home.
On Tuesday, glass was still strewn near the driveway where two detectives searched for clues.
Ngobeni conveyed her condolences to the Ximba family.
She assured them that police “will do everything within our control to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book”.
She urged communities to report those with illegal firearms, saying these contributed to police killings and the murder of innocent people.
“The South African Police Service will not be deterred from ensuring that the people of South Africa are and feel safe from these continued senseless attacks.
“The police will vigorously continue to maintain high visibility and mount more strategic operations throughout the province,” Ngobeni said.
The Hawks have been brought in to investigate Ximba’s murder.
Community and Safety MEC Willies Mchunu on Tuesday condemned the murders of Xolani Kwela, a student police constable, and Sindisiwe Ngcobo, who were kidnapped while they were travelling in KwaNdengezi, near Pinetown, last week.
Their bullet-riddled bodies were found on the road between Greytown and Dundee on Friday.
A police officer and another suspect have been arrested.
lungelo.mkamba@inl.co.za
The Mercury