Slain officers remembered 25 years on

TWENTY-FIVE years have passed but the families of the three Pietermaritzburg policemen who were killed while pursuing escaped criminals say the pain will never subside.

March 17 marked the anniversary of the deaths of Captain Lurantheran Krishnaswami Pillay and Sergeant Dasaraj Naidoo, both 33, and Captain Nilenthran Naidoo, 31, all of Mountain Rise SAPS. They were ambushed and shot several times while travelling in a police minibus in Magoda, Richmond. They were searching for suspects who had escaped from the Mountain Rise police cells the night before.

Pillay and Dasaraj Naidoo died at the scene. Nilenthran Naidoo died in hospital a few hours later. Two other officers, who were also present during the search, escaped without injury.

A few months later, nine suspects were arrested. Among them were Bob Ndlovu, a former ANC self-defence unit leader.

Ndlovu and his co-accused – Zothani Latha, Nhlanhla Hlengwa, Dumisani Ndlovu, Lee Ngubane and Mbongeleni