Cape Town - The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) is probing an altercation between a police officer and his girlfriend in Lingelethu-West, Khayelitsha.
The officer attached to the Maitland flying squad allegedly shot and wounded his girlfriend during a fight as they were driving from an entertainment venue just before midnight on Sunday night.
Ipid spokesperson Lizzy Suping confirmed the incident, disclosing that the officer had been charged for discharging his firearm. She said that Cape Town’s Ipid investigating team was collating information so they could continue with the investigation.
An initial police report of the incident – shared with the Cape Argus – states that after a night out the couple had an argument about another girl before they got into the officer’s car. The officer then allegedly drove the pair to an open field behind Lingelethu-West police station.
The police record alleged that as the couple were driving to the field the girlfriend of the officer assaulted him until the officer took out his firearm and shot her, injuring her in her ankle and thigh.
“After the shooting, the brother of the suspect came and took his car and the firearm. The firearm was then robbed by unknown suspects.”
Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said Lingelethu-West police have registered a case of attempted murder.
Anti-gender-based violence organisation Ilitha Labantu condemned the incident, saying that it was saddened by the incident and what it ultimately portrayed to women, children and vulnerable persons.
Spokesperson Siyabulela Monakali said: “As an organisation that advocates for the rights of women and children for over 33 years, we are saddened by incidents of this nature because our officers are entrusted with the responsibility to serve and protect society from these very actions only to have them be the perpetrators.
“This disturbing incident goes to show the complexity of GBV – anyone can be a perpetrator. However, we strongly appeal to the justice system to impose the harshest sentence on those perpetrating these crimes against women.
“We also call on the police minister to conduct thorough evaluations of their personnel so that we do not have a repeat of these incidents.”