Hostage drama: Praise for cops
2009-12-15 14:32
Johannesburg - National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele commended the specially trained policemen who killed two hostage takers in Petrusburg in the Free State on Tuesday morning.
"The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, Commissioner Bheki Cele has commended the Special Task Force for a swift response in a highly orchestrated hostage drama on the Abrahamskraal Road at Bainsvlei in the Free State Province...." his statement read.
Sixty-year-old Flip Kotze was attacked and tied to a pole on his farm Uitvlug and robbed of his firearms and a cellphone on Monday morning.
The attackers fled in his bakkie, but with a broken arm and injuries to his head, Kotze managed to free himself and let neighbouring farmers know.
They jumped to his rescue and two neighbouring farmers spotted the robbers but were then taken hostage.
One managed to get out of the bakkie and ran to a police station but the other, 50-year-old Gerhard Venter, was held captive, with threats to kill him if the police did not back off.
Bloemfontein police cordoned off the road and 20 hours of negotiations to free him began.
The police's Special Task Force was called in and they shot the robbers dead on Tuesday morning.
"For any eventuality on land, sea and air, our Special Task Force responds decisively and accordingly for the benefit of fellow South Africans.
"However this is indeed a clear message that criminals must retreat, police are equal to the task and are determined to squeeze the space for criminals to zero," Cele said.
- SAPA