Blood is seen on the floor inside a house in Rosettenville, 22 February 2022, following a dramatic shootout the day before between the police and alleged criminals following a botched cash in transit heist. It is believed approximately 20 alleged criminals were involved in the gunfight. Eight men were killed and eight others were arrested, and four police officers admitted to hospital. Picture: Michel Bega
The blitz on three houses involved in this week’s deadly shootout in Johannesburg seemingly missed one of the suspects, who neighbours suspect might have hid in one of the houses until the following morning and got away, on the same day as another of his accomplices was nabbed in Tembisa..
According to neighbours and construction workers renovating one of the houses nearby, a man came running out of the house on Hekla road where five suspects were shot dead around 7:30 on Tuesday,.
“We just froze and looked on as he ran to a white BMW waiting around the corner. The car had just screeched to a halt when he came out running,” a construction worker who asked not to be named said.
The worker says they were sitting outside on Tuesday morning, because on Monday police told them they could continue with their work the following morning but should wait to be allowed in.
While sitting on the pavement across the road from the house, the gate opened from inside and a man wearing blue overalls sprinted out.
Their story was corroborated by a neighbour, who also did not want to be named, as well as community leader Agnes Skosana.
“I did not see where the man came from but I did see him jumping into a white BMW. We are not sure in which of the three houses he was hiding. Police had not returned to the scene at that time and only arrived few minutes later,” she said.
Skosana, however, said they could not say with certainty that the man was one of the suspects, as the neighbourhood had been teeming with activity since the shootout.
“It could be anybody, we are not sure. But it is suspicious,” she said.
On Monday afternoon ten suspected cash-in-transit robbers were arrested and about seven escaped following a shootout that left at least eight suspects and four police wounded in Rosettenville suburb’s The Hill extension
On Wednesday the suspects made their first appearance before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s court and their matter postponed to next month.
They are Menzi Shabalala (47), Hloniphani Dube (40) Alex Matshebele (40), Phendula Mvubu (44), Mike Ngwadi (47), Andrew Tshobolo (67), Khulekani Nkosi (36), Kitso Mnguni (45), Sihle Mazibuko (35) and Qaphela Ngubeni (33).
The charges against them range from conspiracy to commit robbery with aggravating circumstances, eight counts of murder, ten counts of possession of hijacked vehicles, attempted murder, possession of explosives, nine counts of possession of prohibited firearms and ammunition.
In pursuit of the escapees, on Wednesday night police conducted another raid in Phomolong, Tembisa, and arrested an eleventh suspect expected to appear in the Tembisa Magistrate court on Friday.
Police accosted the suspect on the street, and he was found in possession of a 9mm pistol.
At his house police also found four assault rifles, four pistols, a rifle, and magazines, as well as more than thousand rounds of ammunition, channel jammers, and G4S and SAPS bulletproof vests and uniforms.
He will be charged with possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition as well as possession of suspected stolen property.
What police seized in the Rosettenville deadly raid
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