Nine KwaZulu-Natal police officers have appeared in court for the alleged attempted murder of a Durban businessman, Thabiso Ngcobo.
Ngcobo, who works in the construction and transport sectors, was travelling along the M13 near Pinetown last month when he was approached by armed men in four vehicles.
Speaking to The Witness, Ngcobo said the vehicles had blue flashing lights and tried to drive him off the road.
He added that the men were dressed in camouflage and had balaclavas over their faces.
Ngcobo said he was approached by a man who banged on his car window.
A series of shots was fired at his vehicle.
The officers handed themselves over to Pinetown South African Police Service (SAPS) this week.
Provincial SAPS spokesperson, Brigadier Jay Naicker has confirmed that the officers face charges of attempted murder.
The matter is under investigation by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid). Naicker said KZN SAPS commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, stated that police management will work hand-in-hand to root out unruly elements within the SAPS.
"Lieutenant Mkhwanazi remains steadfast in his approach towards police officers that break the law, especially as police officers have taken an oath to protect and serve our communities. We are working closely with Ipid, the Hawks as well as our own anti-corruption unit that are investigating cases were police officers break the law, and we remain committed to root out corrupt police officers.
“There are millions of unemployed people that are willing to join the SAPS to protect and serve and we will not hold on to those that do not want to work within the confines of the law," Naicker said.
He added that 105 police officers have been arrested for various offences in the province, in the last three years.
"Because we take misconduct seriously, the standard of proof is not beyond reasonable doubt, as in criminal cases, but based on a balance of probabilities. This enables us to proceed swiftly with disciplinary investigations and in most instances, our disciplinary cases are finalised well ahead of the criminal cases,“ he said.
Over the past three years in this province, 314 police officers have been dismissed from the SAPS after going through various processes such as suspension, redeployment to other environments.
Naicker added that while there are those officers who tarnish the image of the police services, there are those who work hard to serve and protect their communities.
"Every day we hear of incidents where police officers put their lives on the line in order to create a safer environment and they do this within the confines of the law," Naicker said.
IOL News