The Police ministry has urged detectives to pursue all available avenues to find the killers of a Port Edward warrant officer and his family at the weekend.
Led by Police Minister Bheki Cele, the ministry made the call while visiting the bereaved family of slain warrant officer, Roger Mavundla and three of his family members.
Cele, Police Deputy Minister Cassel Mathale and the SAPS management, led by General Fannie Masemola, on Tuesday descended on Port Edward in KwaZulu-Natal.
Mavundla was gunned down with his family just meters away from their family home.
He and his fiancé, Khanyisile Mthulisi, 39, their children Siyamthanda Mthulisi 10 and 17-year-old Thando Mavundla all succumbed to their injuries.
Simthandile Mthulisi, seven, the sole survivor of the incident, is in a critical condition in hospital.
Ministry spokesperson Lirandzu Themba in a statement said: “While the motive is yet to be confirmed, investigators from the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigations (DPCI) are following-up on leads with the aim to find and prosecute the perpetrators of the heinous crime.”
The 49-year-old policeman was on Tuesday described by his colleagues and many in the community as a respected and dedicated public servant.
Minister Cele has assured the bereaved family and community at large that this crime will not go unpunished.
“While we are aware that policing is a dangerous job, it is very shocking and truly disturbing that an officer who has been described as a good man dedicated to his work, is killed along with his young family so brutally. Our thoughts and prayers are with the young girl who is fighting for her life in hospital and hope she recovers from this tragedy. Ours as law enforcement is to ensure a thorough job is done during the investigative work and the results can bring the affected families the community and the nation, some closure,” Cele said.
Warrant Officer Mavundla and his family will be laid to rest at the weekend. – SAnews.gov.za
