Two Cape Town cops shot dead for their guns

Two Cape Town law enforcement officers died on Wednesday after being shot for their firearms.

The officers, aged 54 and 49, were doing protection duty for municipal contractors near Sweet Home Farm in Philippi when suspects approached their marked vehicle and fired at them through the windows before stealing their guns.

Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said the officers had been airlifted to hospital. But later, he said they had died.

Police spokesperson Lt-Col Andre Traut said that provincial detectives supported by integrated forces attached to Operation Lockdown had later recovered the stolen weapons.

Four men aged 19 to 33 and a female suspect, 23, were arrested for being in possession of four firearms - three Glock handguns, a Norinco, five magazines and 45 rounds of ammunition. They were arrested at an informal settlement in Nyanga.

“Two of the Glocks were identified as the ones stolen from the slain law enforcement officers. The suspects are detained for the possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition and are due to make court appearances in Athlone once they have been charged,” said Traut.

“Meanwhile the search for the killers of the officers is in full swing and every endeavour will be made to bring them to book.”

Smith condemned the "gratuitous act of extreme violence" and said the city council would help the police track down the gunmen.

"The city also takes this opportunity to assure the families of the officers that they will receive the best care possible," he said.

A law enforcement source told TimesLIVE: "I don’t know what the government is going to do to protect us. You are nothing without your gun, but they even come for you when you have your gun, they’ll come straight past that gun,” he said.

“They know that the police have certain protocols within which they’re allowed to act or else they’re told they reacted irregularly."