Top management of the South African Police Service today strongly condemned the murder of Student Constable Mandla Emmanuel Ngwenya, who was fatally wounded while attending a crime scene in Mamelodi East during the early hours of Saturday morning.
Ngwenya, 23 years of age, originally from Mpumalanga, was completing the last phase of his police training at Silverton Police Station, Pretoria and would have graduated as a fully trained Constable in December 2009.
Mamelodi East police members attended to a complaint of robbery and assault in their policing area between 01h00 and 02h00 on Saturday morning, 10 October 2009. As the crowd at the scene, a tavern, were unruly, the members called for back-up from adjacent police stations. Student Constable Mandla Ngwenya was one of the members who responded from Silverton Police Station.
The crowd on the scene reportedly began pelting the responding police officials with stones and a shot was fired from the crowd. Student Constable Ngwenya was wounded in the head and rushed to hospital, but passed away. Ngwenya’s family has been advised of his death and are en route from Mpumalanga to Pretoria.
Acting National Commissioner of the SAPS, Commissioner Magda Stander, said, “We are deeply distressed and angered by the murder of Student Constable Mandla Ngwenya, who was gunned down in the prime of his life before he could achieve his goal of graduating as a fully-fledged policeman.
A thorough police investigation is underway and the perpetrator/s of this heinous crime must be arrested and face the full wrath of the justice system as speedily as possible.
On behalf of all members of the SAPS, I extend our heartfelt condolences to Mandla’s family, colleagues and friends. Now is the time to say ‘no more’ and to take decisive action against those responsible for attacks on and the murder of the heroes in blue,” said Stander.
Enquiries
Sally de Beer
Tel: 012 393 1574
Cell: 082 779 8658
E-mail: debeers@saps.org.za
Issued by: South African Police Service
11 October 2009
Source: South African Police Service (http://www.saps.gov.za)
