Police arrested two men on Saturday evening after the fatal shooting and robbery of a Ladysmith K9 officer a few hours earlier.

In a statement on Sunday, KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Brig Jay Naicker said that an off-duty policeman attached to the Ladysmith K9 Unit was shot as he was driving in Steadville.

“It is alleged that his vehicle was bumped from behind by another vehicle and as he alighted from his vehicle to investigate, he was shot several times at point blank range. He died on the scene and his service pistol as well as wallet were taken by his attackers before they fled the scene.”

He said police officers from various units within the uThukela District traced the suspects to E Section in Ezakheni.

“Two men aged 25 and 30 were arrested while the vehicle used in the commission of the crime was seized by police. The police officer's firearm as well as the firearm used by the perpetrators were recovered by police. At this stage the motive seems to be robbery. The two men are expected to appear in the Ladysmith magistrate's court soon facing murder and robbery charges.”

KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi  said: “The swift response from police officers within the uThukela District is highly commended. Criminals that continue to so brazenly gun down police officers for their firearms do not belong in our society.

“I am very relieved that these two thugs have been arrested and we hope that the criminal justice system will ensure that they are permanently removed from our society.”

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