The family of the soldier gunned down during last week’s attack in Ngcobo‚ which also left six police officers dead‚ said that the badly wounded Corporal Freddy Mbuzeni Mpandeni had managed to crawl for a couple of metres after being shot four times‚ the Daily Dispatch reports.

Mpandeni had been based in East London. Previous reports had said that Mpandeni‚ 56‚ was retired.

His son‚ Ncedo‚ said he suspected that when his father heard the gunshots early on Wednesday‚ he had gone outside to investigate‚ despite being unarmed.

“It was not just a stray bullet that hit him – they aimed to kill him‚” he said‚ adding the shots fired were all at close range.

“Despite having four bullets [in] his body‚ my father managed to crawl back towards his house‚ but collapsed [just outside the door]‚” Ncedo said.

Three police officers were killed in the execution-style attack on the police station. Mpandeni was killed as the suspects fled. The bodies of two more police officers were found about 6km away. A sixth officer‚ who had been wounded in the attack‚ died later in hospital.

There will be a memorial service for the Ngcobo Seven at the Methodist Church tomorrow.

Read more at Daily Dispatch.