South African president concerned over police killings

South African President Jacob Zuma on Sunday voiced concern over a spake of police killings in the country.

Strongly condemning the killing of police officers in the past week, Zuma called upon members of the public to work with law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime and the creation of safer communities.

In the past week South Africa lost four members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) who died in the hands of criminals. Meanwhile, a member of the Johannesburg Metro Police Department was gruesomely killed at a shopping complex during an armed robbery.

"Police are the buffer between the community and criminals and we should all work together to support the police in their work. We also urge our law enforcement officers to defend themselves against criminals within the confines of the law," Zuma said.

He saluted all law enforcement officers who work diligently under difficult conditions to rid the country of crime, saying their work is appreciated by all South Africans.

Official statistics show that in the 2014/2015 financial year, 35 on-duty and 51 off-duty police officers were killed in South Africa.