The family of the police officer who was killed with his friend in Khayelitsha has welcomed the arrest of two suspects.
Sergeant Silulami Qagana, who was off-duty at the time, was shot in Khayelitsha near his Site C home on January 26, while chatting with his friend Masixole Noncuncu, 33, on Solomon Tshuku Street.
His brother Mthunzi Qagana said the father of two was at home when he decided to go out and buy entjies at a near by spaza shop.
Mthunzi explains: “Earlier that evening he was with his friends and then he decided to go home to his wife and children.
“He was a smoker, so he decided to go to the shop.
“His friends were still outside by a car, there were four of them, the two others managed to escape the gun attack.
“We don’t know what the motive for the shooting was, the shooters just came to them and opened fire at the deceased.”
Officer Qagana died at Melomed Hospital in Mitchells Plain, while Noncuncu was rushed to Khayelitsha District where he was declared dead on arrival.
On Thursday, when the memorial service for Qagana was held where he worked at the Cape Town Magistrates Court, two men were arrested by the Hawks detectives.
Sinethemba Peter, 32, and Khanyile Yiweni, 24, made their first appearance in Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on Friday on charges of murder.
The Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi said: “The Hawks’ Bellville-based National Priority Violent Crime (NPVC) team in conjunction with the Western Cape Flying Squad swiftly arrested two suspects aged 24 and 32 for their alleged involvement in the murder of a police official.
“This arrest emanates from an incident where an off-duty police Sergeant, together with a civilian, were shot and killed in Khayelitsha on January 26.
“During investigations, the suspects were identified and arrested.
They appeared in the Khayelitsha Magistrate's Court on Friday, the matter is postponed to 8 February for bail information.”
“The Western Cape Provincial Head of the Hawks, Major General Mathipa Makgato, applauded the team for the swift and prompt arrest of the suspects and further reiterated that the Hawks will leave no stone unturned whenever a police official is killed.”