Mpumalanga – Police in South Africa are questioning three people in connection with Monday’s fatal shooting of a 67-year-old German tourist during an attempted car hijacking.
Tourist Schnarr Joerg was with three other German visitors when armed attackers pounced on along Numbi Road, near the Numbi Gate of the Kruger National Park.
Joerg was fatally shot as he tried to drive away in reverse. Three other Germans survived the attack.
Police Minister Bheki Cele who visited the crime scene on Wednesday said police were questioning “three people of interest”.
The minister said: “The trio who are in police custody are said to be cooperating with investigators”.
Cele was accompanied to the crime scene by the South African Police Service (SAPS) General Fannie Masemola, Mpumalanga Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Daphney Manamela, and Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe.
Police Minister Cele said the SAPS was following “good leads”.
“The tourism sector is highly contested and is the bread and butter of millions of households in this province and other parts of the country, this is why it must be guarded jealously by all of us including communities and we simply cannot let such callous acts go unpunished,” said Cele.
“This is why it is highly encouraging to see police in this province move with agility to find those responsible for this crime.”
Cele also added that a long-term solution was needed to safeguard communities and tourists alike, he has committed to engaging his cabinet colleagues responsible for tourism and transport to put in place a joint coordinated response against tourists.
The minister said the response should be both reactive and proactive.
Cele said the response includes bringing together national and local government, and public and private tourism role players to urgently combine resources to deal with the causative factors of some of these crimes taking place in and around the Masoyi policing area.
This province recorded eleven common robbery incidents involving tourists, from April to June 2022.
Police have arrested two people for their alleged involvement in some of the crimes and the suspects are currently going through court processes.
“Police have a duty towards all inhabitants of this country and must make arrests, as part of crime prevention, the tourism sector also has a responsibility to empower their clients with information and knowledge about their surroundings, so they are not easily targeted for their valuables,” said Cele.
“We have no doubt that if this approach is widely adopted, it will go a long way in ensuring the space for these criminals targeting visitors to our shores is squeezed and ultimately shut.
“While police continue to follow up closely on strong leads in the murder investigation, the Ministry calls on the SAPS to speedily make arrests in order to restore public confidence and ensure the law takes its course.”
