Policeman suspected of killing five petrol attendants

BY LINDIZ VAN ZILLA and TONY WEAVER

Cape Town – A police officer is the main suspect in the execution of five petrol attendants in Grassy Park.

Senior police sources said last night that a policeman was being questioned and had allegedly confessed that he shot dead Arthur Ngxumza, Julius Mjali, Saziso Bhashe, Sibongile Same and Alfred Nyumbeka once in the back of the head.

Although a small amount of cash – not more than R1 000 – was taken from the office of Jaffers Service Station, the motive for the killings is still not clear.

It is understood that until now police had been investigating the signing of a peace pact between rival gangs as a possible catalyst for the killings. Gang “etiquette” dictates peace pacts need to be signed with the blood of outsiders in a high-profile killing.

Last night a police spokesman could not be reached for official confirmation of the arrest. But several police sources privy to the investigation confirmed the arrest.

Meanwhile as coffers for the shooting victims continued to fill up, garage owner Sulaiman Jaffer said yesterday the relief fund for the five victims of the shooting had reached R80  000.

The families would each receive R15 000 for funeral costs and the remainder would be divided equally between them.

SA Petroleum Industry Association director Colin McClelland said yesterday: “These latest slayings are the violent continuation of a consistent spate of criminal attacks on service stations nationwide. This pattern of attacks on what are perceived to be easy targets has been going on for some time.”

Mr McClelland said envisaged safety measures included bullet-proof kiosk glass, an open and clear view of trading areas, limited access to back offices, well-lit forecourts, panic buttons, safety locks, sliding doors to limit access, video surveillance of the forecourt and kiosks, armed response, and links with the local police.

Mr McClelland said a predictive hot spot database was being developed in association with Rhodes University.

The Human Sciences Research Council has brought together the Community Chest, the Institute for Security Studies and the Nelson Mandela Foundation for a research project looking at ways of improving the safety and working conditions of employees at petrol stations.

A R300 000 reward has been offered for the arrest and conviction of the killers.