Tebogo Msimanga |
The two armed security officers contracted to City Power were patrolling some of the cable theft hotspots around Newtown when they were ambushed by an unknown number of men around 10 pm and then shot and killed.
The security officers had just completed a task of escorting a City Power truck transporting tons of the burned copper cables from Inner-city underground tunnels fire to the utility’s Salvage Yard at the head office in Booysens.
City Spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the officers stopped at Carr Street near the double-decker highway to inspect a kiosk often burgled and used to gain entry into the tunnels. “Upon completing the inspection, the security officers returned to their vehicle to write a brief security status report.”
Mangena said that without any notice, armed suspects appeared on both the driver and passenger sides and shot both of them. “They then pulled the lifeless bodies out of the vehicle and took one firearm of the crew.”
Police were called to the scene and a case has been opened. More than 10 spent cartridges were found at the crime scene.
Mangena added that cable theft is a serious crime against the State and economic sabotage should be dealt with without fear. “The latest killing goes to show how brazen and dangerous the cable thieves have become and asserts our belief that this is an organized crime committed not by just an ordinary person, but by heavily armed gangs, equipped with cars and other resources.”
