Durban — Four men suspected of being involved in the murder of a mother and her daughter have been shot dead in a shoot-out with police.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the four men -- suspected to be behind the murders of a woman, 48, and her daughter, 22, who were found murdered at Emachobeni in Inanda on Friday -- were killed in a shoot-out with police on Saturday.
Netshiunda said police gathered intelligence about the suspects who were believed to be on their way to perform cleansing rituals at Mpophomeni.
The suspects’ vehicle was intercepted in the Eskebheni area in uMzinyathi. Police signalled for the driver of the suspects’ vehicle to stop.
“The occupants of the vehicle responded by firing shots at the police officers and the tactically ready police officers returned fire.
“After the shoot-out, it was found all four occupants of the vehicle were fatally wounded. Three firearms were found in the possession of the suspects,” Netshiunda said.
On the same day as the murders, Police Minister Bheki Cele released the third quarter crime statistics for the financial year 2023/24.
This was a collection of crimes that were reported between October 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023.
“During this period, a total of 7 710 people were murdered,” Cele said.
“It is disturbing and concerning that the number of people murdered during this period increased by 2.1%, leading to 155 more people murdered when compared with the same period the previosu year.
“KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and the Free State must be singled out and commended for being able to register a reduction in the number of people murdered during this period.”
Cele said the majority of the top 30 stations where murder was most reportedwas in the Western Cape, KZN, Gauteng and the Eastern Cape.
“Among the top 5 stations where murders were reported are Inanda in KZN, and Mfuleni, Gugulethu, Nyanga and Khayelitsha in the Western Cape,” Cele said.
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