Colonel Leroy Bruwer Bio, Wiki

Lieutenant Colonel Leroy Bruwer was a 49-year-old senior Hawks officer who is reported to have been shot dead on the R37 outside Mbombela on Tuesday, March 17th, 2020.

Colonel Leroy Bruwer Quick Facts

Colonel Leroy Bruwer Career

Bruwer will be remembered as a fanatical nature lover who was also the lead investigator in numerous high-profile cases in Mpumalanga. Bruwer had led several investigations into rhino poaching in Mpumalanga in recent years.

In 2016, he testified how he and a colleague were detained by police when they tried to charge two officers linked to a rhino poaching bust, the Lowvelder reported at the time.

Bruwer was currently also the lead detective in two high-profile rhino poaching cases, that of former policeman Josef ‘Big Joe’ Nyalunga and suspected rhino kingpin Petrus ‘Mr Big’ Mabuza, respectively. He has been described as a passionate policeman and dedicated investigator, received numerous awards during his career.

In 2016, amongst others, he received the national award for being the best detective in the Hawks. Advocate Kobus van der Walt, the head of the Mpumalanga Asset Forfeiture Unit, says Bruwer was one of the most dedicated policemen he ever worked with.

Colonel Leroy Bruwer Death & Cause (Shot Dead)

Coleone Leroy Bruwer was shot dead on Tuesday, March 17th while on his way from his smallholding between Sabie and Nelspruit on his way to work. The Lieutenant was on his way to work when he was gunned down around 07:00. The shooting happened about nine kilometres outside Nelspruit.

Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Leonard Hlathi confirmed from the crime scene that Bruwer was killed. He could, however, not give any more information because the forensic teams were still combing the crime scene for leads.

Photos taken at the crime scene showed Bruwer’s vehicle standing in the yellow lane on the tar road with it nose pointing in the direction of Nelspruit. Three bullet holes could be seen in the driver’s window. The passenger window behind Bruwer’s driver’s seat also had a hole through it.

Witness Statement

Speaking to News 24, GT Lundie the owner of the well-known Zest Restaurant near the crime scene said he heard three shots at around 06:15.

“I then went to pick up our restaurant staff and on my way to the restaurant, saw the Mercedes parked next to the road.

“I did think much of it as many people park there in the morning to offload staff who is working at the nearby Eden Wildlife Estate. I just drove past.”

Colonel Leroy Bruwer Killers

The suspects in the brutal shooting of Coleone Leroy Bruwer have not been capture. The National police commissioner General Kehla Sitole has activated a 72-hour plan to capture the gunmen who killed Hawks senior investigator Lieutenant Colonel Leroy Bruwer.