Six suspects were killed in two separate shoot-outs with the police in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday morning, with police saying that officers came under fire in both incidents.
In Camperdown, four men linked to a series of cash-in-transit robberies were killed, while two men who were being sought for intimidation, extortion and other violent crimes were killed in a police shoot-out at the Klaarwater Hostel in Mariannhill.
Police spokesperson Jay Naicker said that in both incidents the police were greeted with a hail of bullets.
They returned fire and the suspects sustained fatal gunshot wounds.
“Police in KwaZulu-Natal remain committed to enforce and uphold the law by preventing, combating and investigating crime. Suspects who challenge the authority of the state by shooting at police officers will be met with the force proportional to their actions.”
He said five guns were recovered in the two incidents.
In separate incidents at least 18 suspects have been killed during police operations since June last year, 14 in total in the Mariannhill area and four in Cato Manor.
Provincial police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi visited the crime scene in Camperdown and said the provincial police were doing well in investigating and arresting suspects linked to heists.
“Thanks to the responsible citizens that are giving us information, thanks to the hard-working crime intelligence members that were able to recruit informers and gain us the information, and the DPCI (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation) members who are forever chasing all these gangs that are involved in heists,” said Mkhwanazi.
Chad Thomas, an investigator from IRS Forensic Investigations who focuses on organised crime, said the recent shoot-outs between the police and criminal gangs were indicative of the SAPS taking the fight to violent criminals.
“For far too long, criminals have had the upper hand. They can do as they please with no concern for human rights. Conversely, police have had to tread very carefully lest they be called out for being ‘trigger happy’ and be charged for murder just for defending themselves,” said Thomas.
“We have to remember one thing, criminals arm themselves for a reason – to commit crime. They are not shy to kill members of the public, they are not scared to shoot at security officers and police officers.”
He said too many security guards and police officers had been killed by callous criminals.
KwaZulu-Natal violence monitor Mary de Haas said it was not a success to shoot suspects.
“It is not a success when police kill people they say are criminals because you only know after cases have been to court, and hear the evidence, whether or not they are criminals.
“If we had a proper crime intelligence system working, the police would have identified criminals before it came to a shoot-out,” said De Haas.
Meanwhile, police in KZN on Thursday issued a warning against spreading inflammatory statements on social media.
KZN police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda said the police were aware of a voice note about the hoax shooting of 11 people in KwaXimba.
“The voice note alleged that there was a vehicle going around shooting at at least four houses in KwaXimba, in the eThekwini Municipality.
“No mass shooting has been reported in the area,” said Netshiunda.
The Mercury