Durban — A well-orchestrated, high-stakes operation yielded results after the police gunned down two suspects, who were allegedly part of the gang that killed seven Khambule family members in Hlokozi, Highflats, south of KwaZulu-Natal, last month.
The police had been surveilling the suspects for weeks leading up to Saturday’s dramatic encounter in the crime-ridden uMlazi, where the suspects were allegedly on their way to seek a cleansing ritual from a well-known local sangoma.
This comes after two suspects also allegedly linked to the same crime were shot and killed by police after a dramatic gunfight last Tuesday.
The tragic murders occurred on 11 September, leading to an intense police pursuit of those believed to be responsible. Preliminary reports from the police indicate that the slain suspects had become notorious in the community for their violent actions, which have left many fearful.
A police officer who was part of Saturday’s day operation said the cops had been tailing the wanted suspects for weeks in a clandestine operation that also involved community policing forums (CPFs).
“We have been following them to many places, monitoring their movements in different places around Durban. We knew that on Saturday, they would be visiting the sangoma for cleansing. We also knew the cars they were using,” said the police, who cannot be named as he is not authorised to speak to the media.
The team was assembled by the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi following the Hlokozi murders last month.
The cop said they were tipped off that the suspects were travelling in a silver-grey Toyota to uMlazi.
“We lay in wait for the vehicle. We saw the car and tried to flag it down, but the suspects opened fire, and we returned fire, leaving two of the three dead.”
One suspect survived and fled on foot, with the police saying they were rounding up on him.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said: “The intelligence was operationalised, and suspects were spotted driving on the Old South Coast Road in uMlazi, and when police signalled for them to pull over, the suspects opened fire at the police returning fire, a shootout ensued."
He added: “Two suspects sustained fatal gunshot wounds. They were found in possession of two firearms, which have thus far been positively linked with the crime scene at Hlokozi.”
No police officer was injured during the shootout, added Netshiunda.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli said: “We applaud the excellent work of our law enforcement officers. The intensive intelligence operations are yielding positive results. However, we will not rest until we find those responsible for ordering the brutal killing of seven innocent people.”
Ntuli, who incorporated the Community Safety and Liaison Department into his office soon after he became premier in June, urged residents to provide police with information about people linked to heinous crimes.
A local community policing member in uMlazi, who cannot be named to protect his identity, echoed the premier’s remarks.
“We plead with people to help with information that can be used to arrest notorious criminals who are wreaking havoc in our communities. These criminals live among us in our communities. That is the only way we can rid our country of these criminals,” said the CPF member.
Meanwhile, the police also arrested a 33-year-old man from Bergville on Sunday, accused of stabbing to death five members of his family – including two children, aged two and six and a woman who lived with a disability.
The suspect is expected to appear in the Bergville Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
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Daily News