Police top brass visit family of murdered officer

PORT EDWARD - Police are following all possible leads around the murder of a police officer and members of his immediate family in Port Edward.

Minister Bheki Cele and Commissioner Fannie Masemola paid a visit to the family of the officer who was ambushed and killed.

His wife and two children died at the scene, while a third child is being treated in the hospital.

Cele says there's a disturbing new trend in which police officers are killed alongside their families.

"When police die, they either die on the field or are targetted by the criminals but this is a new phenomenon where criminals wipe out the whole family," Cele said.

"We were briefed and have put a Hawks special team together and they have hit the ground running."

Cele called for the swift arrest of the suspects.