The City of Cape Town has issued a reward of R250 000 for information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of those responsible for the death of a member of the Western Cape Government’s Law Enforcement Enhancement Programme, better known as LEAP .
Zanikhaya Kwinana (33) was shot dead in Nyanga on Friday at 20:00 while he was carrying out patrols amid the ongoing taxi strikes in the city.
RNews earlier reported that Kwinana and two colleagues were driving in a marked law enforcement vehicle in Miller Road on their way to Bishop Lavis when an armed man opened fire on them.
When Kwinana’s colleagues realized that he had been hit, they rushed to Heideveld Hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival. He was shot in the head.
According to JP Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security, approximately 13 bullets hit the officer’s car.
NDABANEWS: #TaxiStrike|#TaxiWar|#TaxiViolence – reward for information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of those responsible for gunning down a Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officer in Nyanga on Friday night.
Zanikhaya Kwinana, 33, and two colleagues… pic.twitter.com/sPNaLtdHWv
— Thulani Ndaba (@tndaba) August 5, 2023
“The shooter’s intention was very clear. This callous attack must be condemned in the strongest terms, and we will not rest until those responsible are caught and brought to justice,” Smith said earlier.
In an attempt to track down Kwinana’s killers, Mayor Geordin-Hill Lewis has offered a reward of R250 000.
“The whole of Cape Town is mourning today with his family. The city and police will work together to bring his killers to justice, and we will offer the maximum possible reward to help the investigation,” the mayor said.
A reward of R100 000 has already been announced for information regarding the shooting death of another LEAP officer. Toufeeq Williams was shot and killed last Sunday while walking with his daughter in Beacon Valley.
Gillion Bosman, the DA’s spokesperson on community safety in the Western Cape, says the fact that LEAP officers – who were driving in an official vehicle – were so clearly and brutally attacked demonstrates that the ongoing atmosphere of lawlessness as a result of the West -Cape taxi strikes “gone too far”.
“The strike has lost any sense of legitimacy, and has now become nothing more than an excuse for public violence, murder and intimidation,” says Bosman.
“I am saddened by the death of this brave young officer in the line of duty.”
The DA in the Western Cape expresses its condolences to Kwinana’s family, friends and colleagues, and demands that every law enforcement entity in the Western Cape will work together as one to bring the perpetrators to justice. “There can be no excuse for this heinous act.”
