Firearms Recovered After Ivory Park Police Murders, But the Manhunt Isn’t Over

When news broke that two Ivory Park police officers had been ambushed and killed on Friday evening, the shock rippled far beyond northern Johannesburg. For many residents, it wasn’t just another crime headlineit was yet another reminder of how dangerous police work has become in South Africa, where attacks on officers feel frighteningly routine.

Over the weekend, a fast-moving, intelligence-driven operation brought a small measure of relief. SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed that the service firearms belonging to the fallen officersSergeant Matome Rapetsoa and Constable Sello Montja, have been recovered.

But even with this breakthrough, the case is far from closed.

A Breakthrough in Tembisa and Mamelodi East

According to SAPS, crime intelligence teams worked alongside the Sedibeng Tactical Response Team and the Hawks to track the weapons across Gauteng. Their efforts led officers to two key locations: Tembisa and Mamelodi East.

There, police recovered a SAPS-issued 9mm pistol and an R5 rifle loaded with several rounds of ammunitionboth positively linked to the murdered officers.

But one crucial piece is still missing: another state-issued 9mm pistol that has yet to be found.

Mathe confirmed that the search for additional suspects is ongoing, suggesting that the killers did not act alone and may have tried to scatter across multiple townships to evade arrest.

A Community on Edge

Ivory Park residents have expressed grief and frustration on social media, with many saying that the officers were well-known in the area for their visibility and community-oriented policing.

On local Facebook groups, residents shared condolences for the officers’ families while also voicing fears about brazen attacks on SAPS members. One user wrote, “If officers can be attacked like this, what chance do the rest of us have?”

These reactions echo a wider national anxiety: between April and September alone, six police officers were killed in the line of duty. For communities already tired of violent crime, these numbers feel deeply personal.

The Bigger Problem: Policing Under Pressure

While the firearm recovery is a significant win for investigators, criminal law expert Cornelia van Graan says it barely scratches the surface of South Africa’s policing challenges.

She argues that the attack signals broader failures in crime intelligence and proactive policing strategies. In her view, these murders weren’t just a tragic incidentthey were a symptom of a system struggling to keep ahead of organised and opportunistic crime.

Van Graan stresses that recovering weapons does not prevent future attacks. What is needed, she says, is a stronger, better-resourced police service capable of anticipating threats instead of reacting to them.

Why Police Attacks Are Becoming More Brazen

To understand the gravity of the Ivory Park case, it helps to look at the wider environment:

• Police firearms are highly sought-after in criminal networks, where they are used in robberies, taxi violence, and gang activity.

• Police killings often spike in informal and high-crime areas, where officers are more exposed and criminals feel emboldened.

• Resource shortagesfrom under-equipped stations to slow forensic processingleave officers vulnerable.

When these conditions converge, tragedies like Friday’s killings become more likely.

What Happens Next

For the families of Sergeant Rapetsoa and Constable Montja, the recovery of the weapons is only a small comfort in a much larger heartbreak. The SAPS has vowed to continue the manhunt until every suspect is caught and the remaining pistol is found.

But for communities across Johannesburg and Gauteng, this case has rekindled an urgent conversation about how South Africa protects its officersand whether the system is keeping up with the criminals targeting them.

Until the remaining suspects are captured, Ivory Park remains on alert. And until policing strategy evolves, experts warn that incidents like this may continue to haunt the country.

{Source: The Citizen}

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