By OBAKENG MAJE
Some community members in Morokweng village, near Taung accused the police of being incompetent. This comes after a Tanzanian businessman (41) was allegedly shot and killed during a business robbery in the early hours of the morning.
According to one of the community members, Lesego Phakedi, they heard the businessman screaming for help at around 4am and went out to investigate. Phakedi said, on their arrival, they found the businessman in a pool of blood, but still alive.
“We called the Emergency Medical Response Services (EMRS) and the police, but they kept on saying they are coming. We actually wanted to transport the deceased to Manthe clinic using a private vehicle, but some community members insisted that we should wait for the police.
“We believe that, if the police and EMRS came on time, the deceased would be still alive. He screamed for help after being shot, but we felt helpless. He was a good guy who had a few shops around and was so humble. So, we call on the police to ensure that those perpetrators are behind bars,” she said.
Meanwhile, the North West police said, investigations of murder, business robbery, and kidnapping case is underway.
The North West police spokesperson, Col Adele Myburgh said: “The incident was reported in the early hours of this morning. We cannot name the deceased for now as his next of kin still needs to be informed. It is true that his wife and children were also kidnapped.
“They were left abandoned by the suspects at Graspan village inside their vehicle. An undisclosed amount of money was stolen during the armed robbery as well as airtime vouchers, cellular phones, and the electrical equipment from the deceased’s house and business.”
Myburgh further said the deceased was taken to a local clinic in Manthe village by one of the community members using his private vehicle, however, he was declared dead upon arrival. She added, the police management is committed to delivering a professional service to the community.
“In the event that the community is dissatisfied with our service, the local Station Commander must immediately be contacted or they can phone the following number for service complaints on Cell: 082 856 0995,” she said.
The Guardian 