What started as a day of fun for two friends and their girlfriends ended tragically when one of the men was shot dead. The incident that left afternoon shoppers in Thohoyandou reeling with shock happened next to a famous fried chicken outlet in the Thohoyandou CBD on Saturday afternoon. The incident left a young and promising police officer dead.

According to eyewitnesses, the police officer, Mulalo Masindi (23), was in the company of his friend and they were returning from a fun-filled outing at a local resort around six in the afternoon. It is alleged that the friend alighted from the car they were travelling in when they reached the chicken outlet to pick up a woman who had been waiting for them. Apparently, he found the woman in the company of two men who would not let go of her. An argument ensued, whereupon the friend ran back to the car where Masindi was still sitting and grabbed his (Masindi’s) service pistol. It is alleged that Masindi then joined his friend and a commotion ensued, whereupon Masindi dropped his cell phone. The two guys ran to their car with the phone belonging to Masindi on their way to the police station, but they were stopped by the deceased, who demanded his phone. Masindi allegedly knocked out the window of their car with the pistol. Sensing danger, the two friends allegedly tried to wrestle the gun from the deceased, whereupon a shot rang out and Masindi was shot through the chest. He died instantly.

Meanwhile, police arrested two men at the scene. Isaac Madiya and Phathutshedzo Sigama, both aged 20 and residents of Shayandima, appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on Monday and were charged with murder. They were not asked to plead and their case was postponed to the 21st of April 2009 for further investigations. They were not granted bail.

Magistrate Mantsha presided while Ms Mashudu Nekhumbe prosecuted.

Masindi was attached to the Tshamutumbu police station. He resided in Vondwe village, just outside Thohoyandou.

The police spokesperson in Vhembe, Captain Mashudu Malelo, confirmed the incident and said they had opened a murder case. He said it was sad to lose a dedicated young officer in such a manner. Malelo sounded a warning to officers not to carry firearms to places where liquor is being consumed if they are not on an assignment or on duty. “As police we have standing rules that prohibit our members from venturing into shebeens and taverns brandishing firearms. Any members found to be violating the rule will be dealt with accordingly.” He said criminals target people with firearms as these could be used to commit crimes.