The South African Police Service (SAPS) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has launched an investigation into a senior officer in the KwaMashu area, following claims of his alleged connections to the criminal underworld.
Provincial Commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi confirmed that the officer is suspected of encouraging individuals to open cases against fellow police officers involved in a shootout that resulted in the deaths of four suspected extortionists near Duffs Road.
Mkhwanazi emphasized that the deceased, who were in a VW Polo, were wanted for extortion, murder, and other criminal activities, and that the firearms recovered from them were illegal. He also clarified that the incident was not a case of mistaken identity.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) is already investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths, as is standard protocol in such cases.