The Hawks have made a breakthrough in the murder of police officer Simphiwe Kwepile, arresting a man in connection with the incident.
According to Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani, their national priority violent crime team based in Bellville arrested the 24-year-old suspect on September 28.
He is expected to appear in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Sergeant Kwepile was stationed at the Nyanga police station and was murdered in June while he was with friends in Mandela Park, Khayelitsha.
At the time, provincial police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said a murder docket was opened, and the case was suspected to be robbery related.
“The Hawks took up the investigation and ensured that they left no stone unturned until they eventually effected an arrest,” said Hani.
The Hawks’ Western Cape head applauded the team for the arrest and further expressed his desire for justice to prevail as police murders have become prevalent in the province.
Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) national spokesperson Richard Mamabolo said they were wary of the numerous investigations done on alleged perpetrators of police killings, and this latest arrest was a step in the right direction.
“Our hope is that with the arrests, convictions should be finalised so that justice is served. Most importantly, there should be harsh sentences meted out against perpetrators, and beyond just reacting to killings, the SAPS management needs to be proactive and work on measures to halt these killings.”
Cape Times