SAPS
Three of the four suspects who were sought for the murder of a policeman during an armed robbery in May were fatally wounded in a shootout with police in Kwazulu Natal.
However, Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Philani Nkwalase, said two SAPS K9 unit dogs were also killed and one wounded in the operation in northern KZN on Monday.
He said the intelligence-driven operation was carried out by members of a multi-disciplinary team hunting the suspects who killed the acting Station Commander of the Ndwandwa SAPS, a Lieutenant-Colonel Ndwawonde.
Nkwalase said Ndawonde was off duty and on his way home in a marked state vehicle when he was ambushed in the vicinity of Bhamshela taxi rank. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the attack by the assailants who took his service pistol and an R-5 rifle.
He said the team stopped the suspects driving in a Jeep from Maqongqo towards Pietermaritzburg, when they opened fire, resulting in a shootout.
“Two suspects jumped out of the vehicle and disappeared in the nearby sugar cane fields whilst the other two tried to drive back to Maqongqo, but unfortunately the vehicle went down a ditch.”
He said the driver was fatally wounded while his injured accomplices fled into the bush with police in pursuit. Due to the terrain, the K9 unit was called in, and unfortunately, police dogs Shaka and Simba, who engaged the suspects separately, were killed, as were the two suspects.
A third police dog, Duke, was also wounded by the fourth fleeing suspect, and airlifted to an animal hospital for treatment. The hunt for the remaining man continues.
“The team also recovered four unlicensed firearms including an R4 rifle, an R5 rifle and two 9mm pistols, live rounds, one dashboard blue light and a box of ammunition.”
“Thirteen counts of attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition, malicious damage to property and inquest dockets were opened for investigation,” Nkwalase said.
