Durban hijacking: Sadia suspect continues to elude police

15 June 2018 - 17:20
By Bongani Mthethwa
Police Minister Mr Bheki Cele together KZN MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Mr Mxolisi Kaunda interacting with taxi operators at Chatsworth Taxi Rank to respond to the community demands raised after the fatal shooting of a nine-year-old Sadia Sukraj.
Image: Mbuyiselo Ndlovu Police Minister Mr Bheki Cele together KZN MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Mr Mxolisi Kaunda interacting with taxi operators at Chatsworth Taxi Rank to respond to the community demands raised after the fatal shooting of a nine-year-old Sadia Sukraj.

Police are continuing their search for a third suspect in the hijacking which led to the tragic death of Sadia Sukhraj in Chatsworth‚ Durban last month.

Speaking to media‚ after addressing the Chatsworth community on Friday‚ police minister Bheki Cele attributed the delay in the arrest to an informant giving the investigating team "the runaround".

"The reason for the delay is that criminals cover each other. The person that gave us information has been moving us from pillar to post. But we are very sure that we will be able to reprimand the guy and put him away‚" said Cele.

Sadia’s death sparked a nationwide outpouring of grief and anger.

"There is a process going on to find out what happened on that day when the young girl was killed I am sure we will be finding results and we will let the people know‚" said Cele.

Sibonelo Mkhize‚ 39‚ was charged with Sadia’s murder while another suspected hijacker died at the scene after he was allegedly beaten by an angry mob.

Cele told Chatsworth residents‚ who had presented him with memorandum during his visit two weeks ago‚ that he and Police Commissioner General Khehla Sitole had agreed that there should be an increase in police visibility‚ not only in Chatsworth‚ but nationally.

He said the police would also be conducting random vehicles searches‚ increasing foot patrols at crime hotspots and placing permanent static police vehicles with blue lights at entrances and exits of the south Durban township.

The Chatsworth police station‚ which is currently short of 12 police vehicles‚ will be provided with new 11 vehicles before August.

Chatsworth currently has a shortage of 16 police officers which is an equivalent of two police shifts.

However‚ Cele said he had spoken to President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday and they had agreed that the issue of police numbers in the country’s police stations should be looked at closely.

He said the police were also starting to win the war against a spate of cash-in-transit heists that had taken place across the country in the past few days.

The police would also be flushing out criminal elements within the service‚ said Cele.

He said four generals were arrested on Friday morning but declined to reveal what they had been arrested for.