Makhado CIT-shootout described as an hour-long movie scene

LIMPOPO – The death toll of the close to 90-minute shootout between police and suspected robbers in Louis Trichardt on Friday, has risen to 19 after police discovered another body in the residence on Saturday.

Read more: Death toll in Makhado CIT shootout climbs to 19

National police commissioner, Fannie Masemola confirmed that a series of vehicles – some of which had been stolen in other provinces – had also been recovered, as well as an ambulance which police suspect was going to be used to transport looted money to Gauteng.

Masemola indicated that the robbers were involved in a string of cash-in-transit robberies across three provinces, and that they had placed surveillance on the property days prior to the shootout.

“This house served as the war room where these heists were being planned. We approached the house with the view to arrest them, when they opened fire and we retaliated. The shootout lasted 90 minutes,” Masemola said.

He said at the time of the incident, a robbery was being planned for one of the major cash depots in the province.

“We link persons in Thohoyandou to these crimes, but there were no casualties. We arrested five suspects and four vehicles were recovered.”

Hawks spokesperson Matimba Maluleke said as the police were processing the scene over the weekend, they found another body after the initial count of 18.

Among those killed was a domestic worker and a gardener.

One of the residents who did not want to be named, said they started running for cover as soon as the first shots rang out on Friday just after lunch time.

“It was like a movie scene, and gunshots were heard for more than an hour.”

One member of the Hawks was shot and seriously injured, and airlifted to hospital where is being treated.

Three bodies were identified as the owner of the house, Tshilidzi Maluleke, domestic worker Juliet Mgabe and Simbarashe Muchaungita.