Gauteng police kill two in shootout, launch manhunt for third suspect

Two suspects allegedly en route to commit a robbery were killed in a shootout with police in Gauteng.

One suspect fled the scene during the gun battle on the R59 road at Kliprivier on Thursday. A police officer was injured during the shootout.

Shootout

Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said police received a tip-off about suspects planning a cross-pavement robbery in Sedibeng on the Vaal.

“The suspects were intercepted and when approached they started firing at the police who retaliated, fatally shooting two of the suspects and one fled the scene on foot. One firearm was recovered on the scene.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the vehicle used by the suspects is reported stolen at Alexandra on October 2024,” Nevhuhulwi said.

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Crime

Nevhuhulwi said the Provincial Commissioner of Gauteng, Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, attributed the success to the minister’s [Senzo Mchunu] collaboration agreement, which advocates for a multi-disciplinary approach to fighting crime.

“He further praised the team consisting of Gauteng Tactical Response Team, Gauteng Traffic and private security companies for their swift response and acting decisively to protect the citizens of Gauteng Province,” Nevhuhulwi said.

Mother killed in KZN

Meanwhile, a teenage girl and her baby brother were removed from their KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) home after two gunmen fatally shot their mother while she was undressed in the bathroom.

A 16-year-old girl from Cornubia, north of Durban, told Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) officers on Wednesday afternoon that after returning home from school, her mother, who was entering the bathroom at the time, handed her the house keys through a window.

When the teenager opened the door, two unknown men entered the house with her.

The two men had firearms and used the weapons to threaten the girl and her one-year-old baby brother.

The mother was declared dead at 4.04pm and she suffered an entry and exit wound to her eye and head.

Additional reporting by Chulumanco Mahamba

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