Cops kill MEC’s bodyguard

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The driver and bodyguard of Gauteng Health MEC Ntombi Mekgoe was shot and killed by police at the weekend after he allegedly went on a shooting spree in Germiston.

Sergeant Zama Ntshangase died at the Natalspruit Hospital in Ekurhuleni on Sunday afternoon while under police guard following an exchange of fire with the police.

The drama apparently started in Elsburg near Germiston, where Ntshangase apparently stormed into the police station and demanded that a friend of his who was in custody be released.

Police sources said Ntshangase threatened to shoot police at that station if they did not release his friend. “The situation got tense and officers took cover while he was waving a gun inside the station, threatening to shoot them if they did not release the man. Police were getting ready to shoot him before he left the station and drove away,” said the source.

Ntshangase managed to flee from the police station and survived an exchange of fire with police, but he ended up shooting at more people with his 9mm service pistol.

It is understood that Ntshangase got in an argument with a former lover and two men in Germiston following the incident in Elsburg.

According to the police, the next incident in Germiston started after the argument with the woman and the men who were in her company at an undisclosed venue in the area.

“According to the information that we have, the argument started on one of the streets and he told them he was leaving but would not return. He then came back with his service pistol and that’s when the shooting happened,” said Germiston police spokeswoman Captain Puleng Tshabalala.

She said officers went to the scene after hearing the gunshots while they were patrolling the area.

A stand-off occurred when they arrived at the scene as Ntshangase held one of the men at gunpoint, telling the police officers he would shoot if they did not leave or drop their weapons.

During the stand-off, Ntshangase opened fire and shot his victim before pointing his firearm at the police and shooting at them.

“That is when the police also opened fire on him… they had no choice but to shoot him because he had already shot his victim and was now firing at police,” said Tshabalala.

The two men were seriously wounded during the incident and were taken to nearby hospitals, but the woman was not injured.

Mekgoe’s spokesman, Simon Zwane, said they were aware of the incident but referred comment to the police as Ntshangase was not on duty when he was killed. – Pretoria News