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FOUR SHOTS FIRED AT KAPHUNGA POLICE OFFICER

05/07/2022 08:52:00 Melisa Msweli

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NHLANGANO – Four shots are said to have been fired towards the police officer stationed at KaPhunga and he was hit by one.

This is the narration that was given by the mother of the officer who also stated that her son was responding well to treatment despite being shot around the chest area. Elizabeth Sacolo, in an interview yesterday, said her son narrated to her that he was headed to the police station to fetch water. The house occupied by the shot officer does not have water supply, hence he would often travel to the cop shop to collect water.

Pain

Sacolo narrated that her son informed her that he was in the car headed to the police station when he heard gunshots and a stinging pain. She said her son informed her that the gunshot came from the back of the van he was driving in. She said the lone bullet hit his son at the back and came out in his chest area. It was said that there were at least four gunshots that were fired, one of which hit the officer. Even though the shot officer informed his mother that he didn’t not clearly see the shooter, he had reasonable belief that the aggravator had been hiding behind a huge rock situated at the compound where the officer resided. The rock is located not far from the house. It was said that after the shooting incident, the police officer accelerated and drove for about a kilometer to the police station with the gaping wound to raise the alarm.

Shooters

Upon arrival, it was said that, on duty police officers tried to track down the shooters but they did not find them. It was gathered that his colleagues then rushed the injured police officer to the nearest health facility, where he was admitted. According to the mother, her son was further guarded by police from other police station. She said her son was recovering as he was speaking when she went to check-up on him at the hospital yesterday. The name of the health facility will not be revealed for security reasons. “I am positive that my son will survive, as the bullet came out even though I have not been told about the extent of the internal injuries if any,” she said. When asked if there were specific individuals who were suspected to be behind the shooting, she stated that her son told her that he had information on who might have been behind the shooting.

According to the mother, her son informed her that he had shared crucial information with certain police officers about the people believed to be behind the arson attacks in the country.
The officer is said to have told his mother that he shared with the officers that the suspected arsonists were believed to be at a certain homestead but no one acted on the matter. “My son said no one reported the matter to the superiors to go and raid the homestead and as a result, he suspected that one of the police officers he may have confided in might have sold him out to the suspected arsonists,” narrated the mother.

Relocating

Meanwhile, around lunch-time yesterday, the mother stated that they were in the process of relocating her son for safety reasons as he also feared for his life. The hospital in which he will be transferred to will not be named for security reasons. Before the end of the interview, the mother stated that what hurt the most was that her son was suffering for something he did not know. “Kube mane ufela intfo layentile, manje ubulawa nje ngaphandle kwensono,” she said in vernacular. Meanwhile at Mkhitsini, it was said that there were suspicions that the officer was shot in relation to the shooting incident that involved the leader of the area. It was gathered that the officer is related to the leader of the area. Worth noting is that the shot police officer is originally from Mkhitsini in the Shiselweni Region.

It was said that some residents of Mkhitsini were stopped when they were planning to head to KaPhunga to attack the former Mkhitsini leader’s family suspected to be involved. It was further gathered that a man alleged to have knowledge about the violence in the country was looked for at his homestead, as he was also believed to have participated in the shooting. Efforts by the residents to get him are said to have been fruitless, as he was not found. When called for comment, Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the incident. She stated that she knew that the shot police officer was on his way to fetch water at the police station when he was shot. This is the fourth police officer to have been shot in a space of about a week. While some quarters believe the shootings may have been politically motivated, no one has come out to claim responsibility and the law enforcers have not arrested anyone in connection with the shootings. Two shootings were fatal as two police officers had been laid to rest.