LIMPOPO – 11 suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of warrant officer after being mistaken for a criminal at a funeral in Jane Furse on Saturday, said Limpopo police.
Ten men and a woman aged between 48 and 26 were arrested during a multi disciplinary tracing operation involving crime intelligence, detectives, crime prevention and TRT members throughout Saturday night and Sunday morning.
The deceased who has been identified as warrant officer Boshego Joel Seloga (57) was shot and killed while trying to apprehend a wanted suspect in Madibong village during a funeral at about 09:00 yesterday.
The suspect who was being traced from the North West and is wanted for several crimes in the Brits area was attending the funeral of a villager that was shot and killed last week.
“While apprehending the wanted suspect he screamed for help. Members of the community rushed to his assistance and mistook the police members for criminals.The community members chased the deceased and cornered him. His official service pistol was forcefully taken from him and he was shot in the head and died on the scene,” said provincial police spokesperson, Col Ronel Otto.
“Seloga’s official fire arm together with 12 rounds were recovered from where community members buried in the ground.”
“Police also suspected that the members might have been involved in the murder of the community member in the process of being buried.”
Officer Seloga was stationed at Hlogotlou SAPS but also peformed duties at the Groblersdal Cluster tracing team.
The 11 suspects are due in court later this week concluded Otto.
The Provincial.Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Limpopo, LT Genl Fannie Masemola has expressed his shock over the incident and expressed his deepest sympathy with family, colleagues and friends of the deceased.
He further expressed his disappointment and anger in the community members taking the law onto their own hands instead of calling the Police.
” There is now also blood on the hands of people in this community and the right thing for leaders, councillors and religious leaders to do is to now assist the Police with their investigation to ensure that those responsible are arrested and placed behind bars where they belong” he said.
