Cops kill street vendor

2009-11-03 07:22

Pretoria - Two Pretoria policemen were arrested for allegedly shooting dead a street vendor after refusing to pay him, the Independent Complaints Directorate said on Monday.

"Two off-duty police constables were under the influence of alcohol when they allegedly shot and killed a vendor around 04:00 on Sunday," said ICD spokesperson Moses Dlamini.

The officers, stationed at Pretoria Central, were on their way from a pub to the police barracks when the incident happened.

"The cops allegedly came across a vendor at the corners of Bosman and Church streets, and started eating the foodstuff he sold. They refused to pay," said Dlamini.

Overpowered

A fight ensued and the vendor overpowered the officers. "He hit one of them with a bottle on the head. One of them ran to the barracks, took his service pistol and went back to the scene."

"Two shots were fired at the vendor, killing him instantly," Dlamini said.

The police officers were arrested and will appear in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

The ICD promised to work hard to ensure that justice prevailed in the case.

The ICD had announced earlier on Monday that it was investigating another killing of a man by police in Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria.

"A 21-year-old man was allegedly shot dead by a police officer who had gone to the man's house to question him on Saturday," Dlamini said.

He said the details of what transpired that day were still unclear.

Panicked

Kgothatso Ndobe was reportedly polishing his shoes when police arrived at his home. The Sowetan newspaper reported on Monday that Ndobe's family and friends said he panicked when he saw the police because he was smoking dagga.

He allegedly ran and a police officer fired a shot that hit him in the head. Moments later, he was found dead inside a drain.

His friend Xolani Bhoya was quoted as saying: "My friend died carrying his favourite brown shoes and a cloth. He was not armed. The reason he ran away was because he was smoking dagga."

Reacting to the incident, the Inkatha Freedom Party in Gauteng said it was shocked by "another incident of police recklessness".

Provincial leader Petros Sithole said: "The sad reality of this situation is that police, who are supposed to protect and respect our communities, are the ones now killing innocent South Africans."

Concern for citizens

He said the IFP was concerned that more lives were going to be lost if the "shoot to kill" statement by Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa was not urgently clarified.

"This is the second such incident happening after the minister issued the 'shoot to kill' directive," said Sithole, urging Mthethwa and National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele to apologise to the nation and educate police officers.

Early in October, the ICD confirmed an investigation into the killing of a woman in an apparent botched police shooting in Pretoria.

Dlamini said at the time that police were allegedly following up on a hijacked vehicle, a grey Toyota Corolla, which they had tracked to a nearby filling station.

The police apparently mistook a grey Toyota Conquest for the stolen Corolla. Shots were fired at the vehicle from the direction of the police.

"A 28-year-old woman was shot in the head and died instantly. Another occupant of the car, a 31-year-old lady, was shot in the abdomen and right breast. Another occupant, a man of about 28 years, was shot in the thigh and left arm and had to be hospitalised," said Dlamini.

The driver of the Conquest escaped unharmed.

The ICD took over the investigation and dockets for murder and three for attempted murder were opened.

- SAPA