- Four men were arrested in connection with the murder of a policeman in Somerset West on Christmas day.
- The officer was shot and stabbed.
- The police also recovered his firearm when making the arrests.
Four men have been arrested for the murder of a policeman found stabbed and shot in Somerset West in the early hours of Christmas day.
Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said the officer had been killed in Asanda Village, Lwandle, at about 06:30 on Christmas day.
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"The constable sustained several stab and gunshot wounds and succumbed at the crime scene," she said.
When his body was discovered, his service pistol and his cellphone were missing.
Hani said police had interviewed a man who was injured after the police officer had apparently fired shots at a group of people who were trying to rob him.
Hani said:
"The injured person was then taken to Hottentots Holland Hospital and later transferred to Tygerberg Hospital for further medical examination."
During the interview, the injured man was arrested when it became clear that he may have been one of the attackers.
A multi-disciplinary team was put together to trace the other attackers and the officer's firearm.
Another three people suspected to have played a role in the murder were also arrested, and the officer's firearm was recovered.
The four suspects, between the ages of 21 and 37, are expected to appear in the Strand Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.