A gunfight with police on Monday morning resulted in the deaths of five suspects in the township of Lindelani, which is close to the Ntuzuma township in Durban.
Colonel Robert Netshiunda, a spokesman for the KwaZulu-Natal police, said the suspects were apprehended as they were preparing to rob a business in the neighbouring KwaMashu township.
“Police acted on intelligence about the suspects who were planning to commit a business robbery in KwaMashu,” said Netshiunda.
“Their vehicles were identified in Lindelani. It appears that the suspects had an altercation among themselves where gunshots were fired.”
He added that the suspects, who were shooting at each other, abruptly turned against the police and started shooting at them when the police arrived.
“Police fired back and shot dead five suspects,” he said.
A fully loaded magazine that had been left stranded a few metres away was among the three firearms that were also found at the scene.
Two suspects nabbed at a hospital
In the course of their ongoing search, the police also located two suspects who had been receiving medical care at a nearby hospital.
Additionally, Netshiunda stated that police were still looking for suspects who might have escaped.
Since Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi assumed leadership of the police force in the province, his charges have unleashed a war on criminals.
The men and women in blue have taken a tough stance, promising to purge the province of blatant criminals.
The main targets are the northern Durban townships of Inanda, Ntuzuma, KwaMashu, and Lindelani.
The townships, particularly Inanda, are referred to as the province’s skunks because they consistently record the highest crime rates, with rape, murder, and business robbery at the top of the list.
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