Diepkloof cop killers hunted
2002-05-12 14:30
Johannesburg - Soweto police were on Sunday still hunting for the two
awaiting-trial prisoners who gunned down the Diepkloof station
commissioner and wounded another policeman on Saturday, a spokesperson said.
Gauteng police spokesperson Superintendent Sipho Ngubane said
Senior Superintendent Elias Mashau was shot in the upper body and
another policeman was seriously wounded when they conducted a
roll-call at the police cells.
Mashau died shortly after the incident at the Lesedi Clinic in
Soweto.
Inspector Steve Ngqola was reported to be in a stable condition.
Ngubane said Mashau, who was the station commander was busy with
his routine weekend visit at the police station and also visited
the holding cells when a hijacking suspect pulled out a gun and
opened fire on him.
It was not clear how the prisoner got hold of the gun,
but it was suspected that a visitor smuggled it to him in a pair of
shoes, Ngubane said.
"A full-scale investigation is underway and if we find that any
of the policemen on duty at the cells were negligent, steps will be
taken," he said.
A manhunt was underway for the two men, who escaped subsequent
to the incident.
"We're not sure where they are, but our search is being made
easier by the fact that we know who we're looking for. We may be
able to release their names and pictures as soon as we get a
warrant."
- SAPA