The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) has arrested three Metro police officers who are wanted for questioning in connection with the murder of journalist Godknows Nare in April last year.
The City of Johannesburg’s Public Safety MMC, Michael Sun, said the officers were arrested at Metro police headquarters in Martindale in January.
Sun alleged that the officers were involved in a shooting incident after they had responded to a tip-off involving a hijacked vehicle.
He also said Metro police have conducted an internal investigation and the outcome was given to the authorities. He did not publicly reveal the outcome. Spokesperson Luyanda Longwe said this is because the matter is before the courts. The outcome will be made public once the judge informs the department to do so, she said.
The suspects will appear in the Roodepoort Magistrates Court today (26 January).
Sun said he urges investigating authorities to afford the suspects a ‘fair legal process, which includes a fair trial’.
“The Department of Public Safety will comply with the legal process and await the outcome of the court trial.”
Although many good news stories, like the rejuvenated K9 Narcotics and Tactical Unit making arrest after arrest, have come from the Metro Police Department of late, some bad stories remain.
In October last year, an officer was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment with the option of paying a R5 000 fine after accepting a R100 bribe. Longwe then said, “As the Department of Safety, we will not tolerate any form of bribery and corruption in our ranks”.
The City has prioritised public safety late in 2016, after the municipal elections saw a DA-lead coalition government taking Joburg. Metro police play a vital role in this and last year, 1 500 aspiring officers were recruited to the force.
Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba previously said one of the City’s nine priorities is to ensure safer communities, but that formerly, Metro police were extremely understaffed.
“The addition of 1 500 new officers today represents a 50 per cent increase in the size of our force, alleviating pressure on the formerly over-stretched force,” he said.
The public can report corruption by contacting the Metro police’s anti-corruption hotline at 0800 203 712.
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