Alleged cop killers arrested

A swift response by police and the Hawks in Cala‚ Eastern Cape‚ has resulted in the arrest of five men accused of killing an officer.

Constable Joshua Gungqa was shot and killed on Friday when a group of armed men stormed into Spar in Cala.

Gungqa was off duty‚ inside the shop‚ and he wrestled with the men but was fatally wounded during the scuffle.

One of the attackers was also shot killed at the scene‚ police spokeswoman Captain Anelisa Feni said.

The men then allegedly took an undisclosed amount from one of the tills and then fled the scene with the deceased constable’s firearm.

On Saturday‚ an intelligence driven operation was conducted by members of the Hawks in conjunction with the Queenstown Public Order Policing (POP) and the Cradock K9 units. Members then obtained information concerning the location of Gungqa’s service pistol.

A roadblock was set up and resulted in the arrest of Masithembele Mbali‚ 37‚ Xolisile Maawu‚ 31‚ Simphiwe Mkheselele‚ 32‚ and Cingile Jamda‚ 32.

Two 9mm pistols were found in their possession.

The four appeared in the Cradock Magistrate’s Court on Monday and remain in custody.

However‚ about 1am on Monday‚ another man was arrested for the same crime.

“The suspect led the police to the spot where he and his accomplices abandoned their getway vehicle which they used during the robbery. A Nissan Hardbody was found burnt and dumped into the Tsomo River. The man also led the police to another site where they dumped a body of a 36-year-old man whom they had also killed‚” Feni said.

He will join his co-accused in the Cala Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.