Police constable fatally wounded chasing farmhouse robbers

A police constable was fatally wounded during a shootout while chasing suspects involved in a farm robbery in Stellenbosch on Wednesday night.

Police were tipped off about a house robbery that had been planned on a farm in the area earlier on Wednesday.

"At that stage the farm was not known to police. The information was followed up by cluster detectives and Stellenbosch SAPS crime prevention unit members and the area was being patrolled when the suspects were spotted," said spokesperson Capt FC van Wyk.

"Members from Stellenbosch's crime prevention unit pursued a suspect, and during a shooting incident the police officer was fatally wounded."

Van Vyk said it was subsequently established that a house robbery had been committed  around 8pm at a farm near Vlottenburg.

The suspects managed to evade arrest.

The Hawks are investigating a case of murder in connection with the death of the 31-year-old constable.