The national police spokesperson, Vish Naidoo, says two men were apprehended on Sunday night in different locations for killing Lloyd Poonyane (41) and wounding Lydia Tladi (45).  He says the first suspect (38) was apprehended in Soweto in Gauteng and the second one (25) in Embalenhle near Secunda in Mpumalanga. The duo was arrested in less than 48 hours following a 72-hour plan activation. Naidoo says the two will, amongst others, likely face charges of murder and attempted murder in the Orkney Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 13 February 2020.

He says Tladi and Poonyane were performing crime prevention duties, as well as attending to complaints in the Vierfontien area. “They were travelling in a SAPS branded vehicle when they spotted a Ford Bantam bakkie with two suspicious occupants. They followed the bakkie as far as Orkney in the neighbouring North West Province,” he adds. 

Naidoo says the two sergeants approached the Bantam bakkie after the driver stopped at an intersection. He says the suspects also got out of their vehicle and denied the police the opportunity to search it. “An argument ensued, resulting in the suspects allegedly shooting both SAPS members. Sergeant Poonyane was killed after he sustained a gunshot wound to his chest and Sergeant Tladi was wounded in her leg,” he further adds.

The two suspects allegedly fled the scene taking with them both members’ service pistols and ammunition. Naidoo says during the investigation, the police recovered three 9mm pistols and over 50 live 9mm rounds, as well as six cell phones. One of the pistols was reported stolen in Cleveland in June 2010. He adds that the serial numbers of the other two handguns were erased and all the firearms will be sent for ballistic testing to establish if they were used in the commission of any crimes.

OFM News