The Ngcobo Police Killings took place on 21 February 2018; five police officers and an off-duty soldier were shot and killed by armed gunmen, who stormed into a police station in the small town of Ngcobo, in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Three days later, police authorities traced the suspects to a local church called the Seven Angels Ministry, a compound the local authorities soon learned doubled as an isolationist cult that encouraged underage girls to have sex with the church leaders as a tribute to God. The police raid resulted in a shootout, killing seven people within the compound, some of whom the police believed to have orchestrated the shooting at the local precinct three days earlier. Seven Angels Ministry The church was established in 1986 by Siphiwo Mancoba in Umzimkhulu, Kwazulu Natal. It was initially called Angel Ministry, an acronym for All Nations God's Evangelical Lamp Ministry. Mancoba recorded most of his teachings, distributing them among his subordinates. They were then tasked with spreading his "word" from village to village, thus creating a recruitment system which encouraged people to come to him for salvation. Shortly after his death in April 2015, his seven sons refused to succeed him as leaders of his church, choosing instead to breakaway and form Seven Angels Ministry, which would be led by their mother. The church was for the most part closed off to the general public. Education and a paid work outside of the church were believed to be doctrines of devil worship. Members of the ministry were required to relinquish all of their cars, money and properties as gifts to the "Angel Brothers" if they wish to join the congregation. Police Killings It is believed that church was experiencing financial strain, as they struggled to house and feed the many congregants that lived within the church's compound. Police believed this was the prime motivator for the events that occurred on 21 February. Unknown attackers at the time walked into the Ngcobo Police Station and opened fire. Three police officers were killed instantly, with an off-duty soldier shot dead. The gunmen had earlier killed two additional police officers at a location 60 km from the police station. The attackers took off with a police van and ten firearms, weapons that were used to rob a Capitec Bank ATM not far from the police station. Police Response On 23 February 2018 the SAPS