Officers linked to TUT law student shooting were not certified to use guns
Captain Joseph Rapoo also faces a murder charge and is expected to have his disciplinary hearing later this week.
The two police officers charged with killing Tshwane University of Technology student Katlego Monareng in August appeared in the Soshanguve Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 23 October 2018. Picture: Rorisang Kgosana
The two officers who are linked to the shooting of Tshwane University of Technology law student Katlego Monareng reportedly had expired firearm certificates.
According to an EWN report, the firearm competency certificates expired about six months before the shooting in August 2018.
Monareng was shot during a protest over SRC elections. At the time, police said they only fired warning shots at the ground with R5 rifles. The officers were arrested on a murder charge.
A disciplinary hearing for the officers has revealed the shocking firearm competency revelation, where constables John Slender and Lucky Mosoma were found guilty of misconduct for discharging their rifles during crowd control.
Captain Joseph Rapoo, who was the commanding officer at the time, also faces a murder charge and is expected to have his disciplinary hearing later this week.
Presiding officer Captain Boitumelo Ramahlaha criticised police for failing to ensure compliance for firearm certificates. Ramahlaha argued that the pair should be fired for misconduct.
Ballistic investigations link the bullet which killed Monareng to Slender who was under Rapoo’s command.
Monareng was shot dead at the TUT north campus in Soshanguve following scuffles that took place after an SRC voting dispute on Thursday, August 23.
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