The Eastern Cape Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Liziwe Ntshinga, has strongly condemned an armed attack on two police officers which resulted in the death of a Constable and a Sergeant being injured.
According to Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg, the Mount Road members were attending to an alarm at the Port Elizabeth Ice Cream Parlour in Paterson Road, North End, on Thursday night.
Janse van Rensburg said before the police arrived on the scene two security guards were held at gunpoint by two men who entered the premises.
She said the security was taken to the guard room and tied up when one of the suspects mistakenly activated the panic alarm which alerted the control room.
A Supervisor was dispatched to the guardroom and as he drove to the gates he was also held at gunpoint and taken to the guard's room.
" A few minutes after the supervisor arrived, police also arrived at the premises. The suspects threatened the supervisor and ordered him to send the police away. As the supervisor was busy with the police, one of the armed suspects emerged and started shooting at the two police officials," said Janse van Rensburg.
She said Constable Caroline Mjandana (38) was fatally wounded in the neck while the driver, Sergeant Anele France (43) was shot in his right ear.
France is in a stable condition in hospital.
" We offer our most heartfelt condolences to the family of Constable Mjandana and wish our wounded colleague a speedy recovery," said Lieutenant General Nthsinga. "We can assure them that the South African Police Service will not rest until the perpetrators are brought to book. We cannot remain silent when those who are out there, risking their lives to protect us, are killed."
Both police firearms were taken and police are investigating cases of murder and attempted murder. Police are searching for as many as six suspects.
