Situation tense in Engcobo as police search for cop killers

The situation remained tense in Engcobo‚ Eastern Cape‚ as some of the businesses in the area were not able to operate‚ as High Road was cordoned off to investigate the murder of five policemen and one retired soldier.

The Engcobo Pharmacy‚ which is opposite the police station in High Street‚ was only able to open at 11am as the main road had been closed off since the early hours of Wednesday morning.

A man at the pharmacy who asked not to be named said a number of shops in High Street could not open on time because of the police cordon‚ which was removed later in the morning. He said the area had not experienced any robbery in the past few months.

Crime statistics for the area showed that 22 robberies were recorded between April 2016 and March 2017‚ an increase from 12 incidents in the previous year.

The area also recorded 17 robberies at non-residential premises from April 2016 to March 2017‚ a decrease from the 24 robberies recorded between April 2015 and March 2016.