The assassination of a legal counsel in an apparent hit draws attention to a worrying trend of sourcing ‘guns for hire’ in the Eastern Cape.
The death of a Gqeberha public prosecutor, widely believed to be an assassination, has highlighted growing concern for the safety of state attorneys. Crime experts warn that there is no clear solution to the escalating attacks on legal officials – especially in the Eastern Cape (EC), which they describe as a rising hotspot for hired guns.
Regional Court prosecutor Tracy Brown arrived at her Young Park home at around 3.30pm on Thursday 31 July. She was still seated in her car when a VW Polo pulled up to her driveway. Four armed men wearing masks to hide their faces got out, walked up to her car and fired multiple shots into Brown’s Toyota Etios before fleeing the scene.
Brown’s partner and minor child were at home when the incident occurred. She was rushed to hospital, but sadly succumbed to the numerous gunshot wounds she sustained.
The police said the motive behind the murder was still unclear. But the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), as well as court and police officials who worked with Brown, believe she was the target of a planned hit murder.
Her death comes only a few short months after another prosecutor, Elona Sombulula, was shot and killed in Ngcobo in April. NPA spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga said Brown’s death was an attack on law and order, and no stone would be left unturned to solve the violent crime.
