The South African Police Service is strengthening its Anti-Gang Unit following the killing of two police officers and two civilians in Reiger Park, east of Johannesburg, in a shooting that has renewed concerns about the ability of the state to confront heavily organised gang networks.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia confirmed the reinforcement this morning, 11 August after visiting the families of the slain officers.
Constables Thapelo Tlomatsane and Sphiwe Sibeko were killed on Friday night after responding to reports of gunfire in the Reiger Park area. Two women were also killed in the incident.
The two officers were members of the Anti-Gang Unit and had joined the police service only about two years ago.
Cachalia said the loss highlighted the risks faced by officers working in communities affected by organised criminal activity.
The minister said additional resources would be directed towards areas affected by gang violence and that the SAPS leadership had been brought into efforts to address the problem.
A person of interest, described by authorities as a known gang member, has been taken in for questioning. Police say the individual is currently out on bail in connection with other cases, including murder and attempted murder.
Authorities have stressed that the person has not been declared guilty of the Reiger Park killings.
Police have also recovered two firearms belonging to the slain officers. The firearms were found at an informal settlement near Germiston on Monday.
The developments come amid growing pressure on law enforcement agencies to dismantle organised criminal networks in Gauteng and other parts of the country.
Cachalia has previously said more than R1 billion has been allocated to support policing in areas affected by gang violence.
He has also maintained that the deployment of the South African National Defence Force in crime hotspots is a temporary measure and not a substitute for policing.
But the Reiger Park killings have also exposed a deeper problem, the level of distrust between some communities and the police.
A community leader in Reiger Park has alleged that some police officers are working with gangs and accused criminals of having influence within the community. The allegations have not been proven and should be tested through investigation.
That distrust could prove significant for investigators because authorities have repeatedly appealed to residents to provide information that can help identify and prosecute those responsible for gang-related crimes.
Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police has also called for an urgent, intelligence-led investigation into the killings, saying the murder of police officers cannot become normalised.
The two slain officers are expected to be buried this weekend.
For the communities of Reiger Park and surrounding areas, however, the central question extends beyond the arrests and funerals: whether the latest deployment of police resources will translate into a sustained dismantling of the criminal networks that have left residents living under the shadow of gang violence.
The investigation remains ongoing.
