KwaZulu-Natal police have shot and killed nine suspected criminals in a series of gun battles over the past four days, officials confirmed on Friday afternoon. The suspects were wanted in connection with multiple murders and armed robberies, according to police spokesperson Robert Nethsuinda.
The deadly encounters began on Tuesday and continued on Thursday, culminating in two separate incidents on Friday. The latest shootout occurred in the early hours of Friday morning when police clashed with three suspected criminals in Empangeni. Acting on intelligence, police located the men in the KwaDlangezwa area, where they were met with gunfire upon arrival. The suspects, believed to be involved in an ATM bombing the previous day, were fatally wounded in the exchange.
Later on Friday, two men believed to be part of the notorious West Gang were killed in a shootout with police at a house in the Angola area of Amaoti, Inanda.
Earlier incidents included the apprehension of three men on Tuesday, who were wanted for multiple murders, including the killing of South African Police Services (SAPS) Sergeant Yekani Siboniso Thabete. Thabete, a member of the KwaMashu Tracking Team, was attacked, disarmed, and shot dead with his service firearm.
On Thursday, another suspected ATM bomber was killed in the Madlankala area of Esikhaleni. This suspect was part of a group that had bombed an ATM at a store earlier that day.
Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the Provincial Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal, issued a stern warning to criminals, stating that police would defend themselves if attacked. He highlighted that over 35,000 suspects had been arrested in the past three months without incident, emphasizing that cooperation with law enforcement prevents violence.
Mkhwanazi stressed that those who endanger the lives of police officers and residents by resisting arrest and using gunfire leave police with no choice but to return fire in self-defense. He expressed relief that no police officers were injured during the four shooting incidents.
