NEWS
Rape suspect, cop shot in courtroom drama

January 10 2003 at 05:31AM



By Gill Gifford, Rapule Tabane and Jillian Green

Seconds after a child protection unit detective entered a courtroom and arrested a man believed to have raped a teenage girl, the suspect pulled out a gun and shot him in the head.

A second shot then shattered the quiet in Alberton magistrate's court A and the few people who were in the room during the morning tea recess on Thursday looked up to see two people lying on the floor.

The suspect had shot himself in the mouth.

The shooting, the latest in a string of violent acts in South Africa's courts, has again raised questions around the safety of court officials and witnesses, and the level of security in courts.

The Alberton magistrate's court has a metal detector, but there were no explanations how the suspect could have kept his firearm on his person.

Superintendent Andy Pieke, police spokesperson for the East Rand, said the detective died on the scene.

The 38-year-old inspector may not yet be identified as his next of kin have not yet been informed.

His attacker was taken to the Rand Clinic in a critical condition.

'I am now finished. This is too much'
Attorney Jacques Diemieniet said: "There were about five of us in the courtroom and we heard two bangs, like plastic bags popping.

"Next thing, they were both lying there and nobody saw anything. I ran out of the room and I saw a policeman running towards us, so I said: 'Woah, don't draw your gun, they're both down'."

Alberton police Inspector Anzuette Steenkamp said the detective, who was attached to the Katorus Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit, had been approached by a 16-year-old girl who said she had been raped.

She went to him for help as she knew her attacker, and had been told by a friend that he was appearing in court and could be tracked down there.

Steenkamp confirmed that the 30-year-old suspect was waiting to make a second scheduled appearance on a charge of armed robbery, and was free on bail of R500.

On Thursday, the girl identified him to the detective, who then asked her to wait in the passage while he went to arrest the alleged rapist.

Steenkamp said: "The court orderly said he heard the suspect saying, 'So you're arresting me for rape?', and then when the policeman said 'yes' a shot was fired immediately."

The killing shocked the many policemen and women who were at the court, and who had known the detective.

Inspector Primrose Ngcobo, who had been the victim's work partner since 1997, was called to identify his body.

"I can't believe this happened. He was a very nice guy. Friendly and handsome.

"We have worked together and shared an office for a long time, so it hurts a lot to see what has happened to him," she said.

"I am now finished. This is too much. My husband was shot dead in an armed robbery on December 14 and I have only just buried him and my children are finding things hard.

"Now this has happened," she said as she battled to control her tears.

The detective was well known.

Pieke said: "I can't believe it. Just yesterday he was at my office and I gave him a box of teddies." Pieke found it difficult to go about his media liaison duties when a colleague was the victim.

The detective, who lived at the police barracks in Germiston, is survived by his wife and several children, who live in Mpumalanga.

While police have not yet calculated their police murder statistics for the year, Thursday's murder was the third attack on SAPS members this week.

On Tuesday, reservist Samuel Malete, 32, was killed and robbed of his official firearm as he left work.

And on Wednesday a Pretoria policeman was responding to a robbery in progress when the suspects fired at him. A bullet penetrated his car door and lodged in the boot.


 

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