2 police officers killed responding to robbery call in South Africa

The Acting National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, has ordered the full deployment of police resources to track down and arrest the suspects responsible for the brutal killing of two police officers early on Friday, 18 September 2026.

The officers, aged 51 and 30, were attached to the Mthatha National Intervention Unit and the Mthatha Public Order Policing Unit. They were shot dead at Ziphunzana Location in Libode, near Mthatha, after responding to a call for assistance related to an alleged business robbery at a local spaza shop.

The two members placed themselves on duty in the early hours of the morning. They were later found with gunshot wounds. Their service pistols were stolen by the perpetrators.

Lieutenant General Dimpane described the killings as an attack on police officers who risk their lives to protect communities and on the authority of the state. She directed that no resources be spared in the investigation.

“A multidisciplinary team has been mobilised,” she said. “The Eastern Cape will leave no stone unturned… We will find the killers, and we will find the firearms that were taken from our members. Those firearms must be recovered and returned to the SAPS.”

The Acting National Commissioner also expressed her deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the fallen officers.

“These members answered a call for assistance and paid the ultimate price while performing their duty. We will stand with their families and colleagues during this difficult period. As the SAPS, we will not rest until those responsible for this heinous crime are found, arrested, and face the full might of the law.”

The investigation is ongoing, with preliminary intelligence already being followed up by the specialised team.

The SAPS has urged the public to assist by providing any information that could help bring the killers to justice.