An off-duty police officer has been shot and killed while sitting in his car with friends in Mfuleni.
Constable Phindile Vutula was shot six times and another passenger also died in the attack on Tuesday afternoon.
The 33-year-old, who was stationed at Philippi East SAPS, had been a cop for about four years.
His uncle says he was informed over WhatsApp about what had happened.
Mandlakhe Vutula, 44, tells the Daily Voice: “When I was told, I went straight to where the shooting took place and when I arrived, the police allowed me to view the body in the car and I saw that it was not him.
“I was told that he might have been injured and taken to the hospital.
“When I arrived there, I was told there was no one by his name admitted there and that I must check at the morgue.”
Mandlakhe explains that he was shown corpses that had arrived on Tuesday evening and he found his nephew at the Tygerberg Mortuary.
“I asked officials to show me where in the body he was shot and saw that they shot him in the chest and leg. He was struck six times.
“This is really shocking to us as the family and we are left with so many questions about this ordeal.”
He says witnesses told him that a car had been following the Ford Focus which belonged to the constable.
“They reportedly opened fire at them and then drove away. Phindile was sitting in the back seat behind the passenger, only two occupants died, another was hit in the hand and one managed to escape without a scratch.”
Police spokesman Colonel André Traut has confirmed the incident.
“The circumstances surrounding a double murder are being investigated after two adult men were shot and killed on Tuesday afternoon at around 4.10pm in Olifant Street, Ext 6, Mfuleni.
“The victims’ bodies were discovered in a silver Ford Focus,” he adds.
“One of the victims is a 33-year-old police officer stationed at Philippi East and was off duty at the time of the incident.
“The suspects are yet to be arrested.”