Police in Plessislaer, Pietermaritzburg have arrested a 39-year-old suspect for the murder of off-duty police officer Constable Samkelo Sithole, who was shot dead on Monday.

Police said the shooting occurred at the corner of Mthombothi and FJ Sithole Road in Imbali township. Sithole’s firearm was also recovered at the scene. Sithole was based at the Hilton police station. 

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed the arrest and outlined the events that led to the fatal shooting.

According to Netshiunda, Sithole had been drinking with friends at a house in Unit 3, Imbali, when a jacket belonging to one of the friends allegedly went missing. The group then got into a vehicle to look for the man they suspected of taking it.

Colonel Netshiunda said that when Sithole approached the suspect, the man “fired a fatal shot at the deceased without saying a word”.

Sithole died on the scene.

The arrested suspect is expected to appear in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 18 November.

Sithole has been remembered as a respected and warm presence in the Hilton community.

Ward 6 uMngeni councillor Kate Janse van Rensburg wrote on Facebook: “It hits differently when it’s close to home. The Hilton community has lost a real gem.”

She added: “I watched Constable Sithole engage with kids and the elderly, saw him drive past with a smile on his face every single time, despite the spaces and confrontations he found himself in.”

Her message continued: “My sincere condolences and heartfelt ache go out to his family, his friends, and colleagues at the Hilton station. May every person he loved and that loved him find comfort and strength during this really tough time. Rest well Constable.”

Additional tributes and condolences from community members were also shared on Facebook as news of Sithole’s death spread. Police investigations into the circumstances surrounding the shooting are ongoing.

THE MERCURY

Source link