Cop robbed and killed while fishing

Johannesburg - What was meant to be a leisurely day off work spent fishing had a bloody end for an Ekurhuleni metro police department officer when he was robbed and killed.

Jordaan Voort from the Equestrian Unit had taken the day off on Wednesday to go fishing at the Aston Lake in Springs, EMPD spokesman Inspector Kobeli Mokheseng said on Thursday morning.

But his body was found in a pool of blood in the grass in the afternoon.

Mokheseng said the cop was found with open wounds. He was unable to say whether he was fatally stabbed or shot.

He said Voort was believed to have been killed between 1.30 and 2.30pm.

“His Nissan Nivara bakkie, 9mm Glock (service) pistol, wallet and cellphone were taken,” said Mokheseng.

The motive for the murder is suspected to be robbery and a hunt is on for those responsible for the officer’s death.

“We are not sure how many people are involved in the murder, but an investigation is under way,” said Mokheseng.

Murders such as Voort’s sparked protests by the police last year after the death toll reached 73 in November. Of the 73, 33 were killed while on duty, while 40 were off duty.

A spate of attacks last year began on July 27 when a Joburg metro police department (JMPD) officer was gunned down in an armed robbery at a mall in Rosettenville.

That followed the death of Hawks officer Petrus Holtz who was stabbed to death in Cape Town while changing a flat tyre on the highway.

On the same day of Holtz’s murder, a gang of armed robbers shot and killed 36-year-old police officer Njabulo Buthelezi while he was responding to a crime scene in Vosloorus.

The following day, a Gauteng police officer and a robber were shot and killed in Temba, outside Pretoria, with another officer killed during a shoot-out in Jeppestown a day later.

An Emalahleni, Mpumalanga officer was killed just two days after the Jeppestown incident.

On that day, a police officer was shot and wounded during a stop-and-search operation in Carltonville while two JMPD officers were shot and seriously wounded while directing traffic in Midrand.

JMPD spokesman Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said at the time the sergeant had sustained four bullet wounds, two to his chest, and one to each leg, while the other officer had sustained a bullet wound to the neck.

Following these attacks, the Police and Prison Civil Rights Union (Popcru) organised a march and asked that officers who defend themselves against criminals not be prosecuted.

Popcru spokesman Richard Mamabolo said at the time: “When police don’t do anything, fingers are pointed at them, but when they do something, they are blamed for it.”

karishma.dipa@inl.co.za

The Star

I JUST CANNOT , CANNOT OVER STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY & SECURITY.....

IT CANNOT BE DISCUSSED TO MANY TIMES