National police commissioner General Khehla Sitole has condemned the killing of Brigadier Malefetsane Jonas Mofokeng, who was shot dead outside his home in Soweto on Thursday.
Mofokeng, who had 37 years of experience as a police officer, was the station commander at Meadowlands police station.
Sitole instructed provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Deliwe de Lange to ensure that a task team was appointed to investigate Mofokeng's murder.
"Every law-abiding citizen will appreciate that any attack on a police officer is an attack on the sovereignty of our state and therefore our plea for community participation in stopping this scourge of attacks on police officers is absolutely essential," Sitole said.
Minister of Police Bheki Cele said on Thursday he expected the perpetrators to be arrested within 72 hours.
"No one should kill one of our own and sleep at home," he said.
"For us as the South African Police, it is not to cry but to find and give answers to the family [about] what happened and why it happened."
The DA's spokesperson on community safety Michele Clarke also condemned "the senseless killing" of Mofokeng, who was shot in front of his 14-year-old daughter.
"These senseless killings of our police officers must come to an end. Police play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of our people and communities," Clarke said.
"As the DA, we call on the police to launch a manhunt for the suspects and [ask] that no stone is left unturned in the pursuit of justice in this matter."
- FOLLOW News24 on Twitter