JHB man held for killing cop

Johannesburg - A man has been arrested for allegedly hijacking and killing a police officer in Meadowlands, Soweto, Gauteng police said on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old was arrested on Monday after he was identified by a witness, said Lieutenant Colonel Lungelo Dlamini.

Constable Prins Mashabela, 27, who was off duty at the time, and his girlfriend, were driving to a friend's house in the area on Saturday night.

They were approached by two people, one armed with a firearm, when Mashabela stopped the vehicle to add transmission oil.

The men demanded cellphones from the victim and his girlfriend, said Dlamini.

The pair took the keys and drove off. They forced Mashabela out of the car while it was in motion, said Dlamini.

Mashabela ran after them and knocked on the windows when the car came to a cul de sac, where one of the hijackers got out the vehicle and shot him in the upper body.

His girlfriend managed to flee and reported the crime.

Mashabela was declared dead upon arrival at the Tshepo-Themba Private Clinic.

The suspect will appear in the Protea Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.