Krugersdorp cops were 'not in their right mind'
Community Safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane has defended the Krugersdorp police officers, saying they were "not in their right mind" when they acted.
Nkosi-Malobane was speaking yesterday at a commemoration event of Gauteng SAPS members, who had been killed on duty since last year.
The Krugersdorp officers were allegedly involved in the killing of Khulekani Mpanza, after he fired shots at a police van.
The officers now face charges of defeating the ends of justice and murder.
Referring to the Krugersdorp officers, she said: "Remember these are people who have almost just lost their lives, they were not in their right mind [when] they responded the way they did."
She said it was ultimately up to the justice system to decide who was actually in the wrong but it was also the responsibility of the media to report on the manner in a balanced way.
Nkosi-Malobane went on to say that if the media was balanced, people could make up their own mind on who was right and wrong.
"While I'm not saying it was right for officers to kill that criminal... you must also indicate that before that criminal was killed, [he shot at our officers eight times]," she said.
"He didn't care who dies, he didn't care whether the officers died or members of the public die. We are fortunate that no one was injured during his shooting spree."
She said media reports where police were victims of murder or had killed suspected criminals were generally not balanced.
Police officers came under scrutiny two weeks ago, after the Sunday Times newspaper reported that CCTV footage showed them killing Mpanza.
The video footage showed the police chasing a gun-wielding Mpanza down the streets of Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg. One of the officers fired the first shot which resulted in Mpanza falling to the ground and dropping his weapon.
The footage then showed another officer kicking Mpanza while another officer fired a second shot.
Earlier this week, the Krugersdorp Magistrate's Court heard from the prosecution team that three shots were fired at Mpanza, one to the arm, the second shot was a graze to the head and the fatal shot perforated his organs and moved from the shoulder to his waist.
(File photo: Gallo Images)