Police arrest suspects following shoot-out in Bushbuckridge
The police suspect that one of the guns found in the men's possession was stolen from the SAPS.
Chelsea Pieterse
A high-speed chase between the police and six men in Bushbuckridge on Wednesday ended in a shoot-out, resulting in one of the suspects being shot, while another was injured from jumping out of the speeding getaway car. The men have been charged with the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, conspiracy to commit business robbery and attempted murder. The suspects, aged between 24 and 66, were found with two high-calibre rifles and a revolver. They will appear in the Bushbukridge Magistrate’s Court tomorrow. In an intelligence-driven operation by the Mpumalanga Anti-Gang Unit, Provincial Tracing Team, Tactical Response Team and the Provincial Investigative Unit, the police spotted several men on the back of a white Mazda single cab in Bushbuckridge. The provincial police spokesperson, Brig Leonard Hlathi, said in a statement that the police had ordered the bakkie to stop, however, the driver ignored them, leading to a chase. “The suspects began firing shots towards the police damaging their vehicle and they were then obliged to defend themselves.” Hlathi said one of the men had been shot during the exchange of gunfire, and another suspect had jumped out of the moving car in an attempt to flee. The Mazda then overturned and the police swiftly arrested four suspects while the two injured men were taken to hospital where they remain under police guard. “The probe will also look into whether the suspects were not involved in other criminal activities elsewhere. The police also suspect that one of the firearms, might have been stolen from a robbery that took place at Bushbuckridge Police Station some time last year or robbed from a Tactical Response Team member earlier this year,” he said. The provincial commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lt Gen Semakaleng Manamela, has praised the members for their swift response which resulted in the breakthrough. “We pride ourselves with the excellent work done by these committed members. With such resilience, the province can be sure of the realisation of a safe environment for all citizens,” said Manamela.
