The family of the 22-year-old who held police hostage on Monday has yet to collect his body, prompting concerns about the handling of the incident.
Image: SAPS
The family of the slain inmate who held Ntuzuma police officers hostage have yet to identify his body, which is currently being held at a state mortuary.
A 21-year-old traditional healer, also believed to be linked to the notorious West Gang, was shot and killed after police responded tactically to a hostage situation that unfolded in the holding cells of the Ntuzuma police station.
The deceased’s name is known to the Daily News.
A police officer with intimate knowledge of the incident told the Daily News that by Tuesday afternoon, the family has not visited either the police station or the mortuary since the incident occurred on Monday morning.
“His family had not yet contacted us. We are not sure why, but they have not come forward. Procedurally, they must meet with members of the detectives’ unit, as they handle cases involving deceased persons, including any previous cases registered in his name,” said the source.
It was reported that the deceased was part of the highly violent and feared West Gang, whose members were reportedly under the age of 25 and allegedly operated mainly in the areas of KwaMashu, Inanda and Ntuzuma. However, the source could not confirm his gang affiliation.
According to police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda, the inmate had been in custody since Saturday for allegedly terrorising his family. His actions on Monday were described as an apparent act of retaliation against police for his detention.
The hostage incident has prompted questions on whether proper protocols were followed when engaging with an inmate inside a holding cell.
Willem Els, a security expert from the Institute for Security Studies, told the Daily News that all police operations must be guided by Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs), and questioned whether officers had entered the cell with firearms.
Els said the actions of the police required further investigation.
However, Netshiunda explained that the officers who initially confronted the suspect were not armed, while those who arrived to assist carried firearms.
“Two police officers confronted the inmate in the cells when he overpowered and assaulted them and took the keys to the main door,” said Netshiunda.
He added that when backup arrived, the armed officers entered the cell not knowing whether the inmate was armed, that's when one of the police officer's firearm was taken.
Following a shootout with police, the inmate was shot and killed.
DAILY NEWS