Four men, suspected to be hitmen, were shot dead by SAPS during a shootout on Sparks Road, Overport, on Wednesday, 17 July.
Garreth Jamieson of ALS Paramedics said that paramedics arrived at the scene after four suspects were fatally wounded. “A fifth suspect was injured on the scene but paramedics were able to assist him and he was taken to hospital for the necessary medical care,” said Jamieson.
KZN SAPS spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, confirmed the shooting, stating that the incident occurred after a multidisciplinary team consisting of police officers from the DPCI Provincial Tracking Team, DPCI Anti-Gang Unit, KZN Provincial Tactical Response Team, the Pietermaritzburg K9 Unit and private security personnel acted on intelligence about the whereabouts of the suspects.
These suspects were wanted for various violent crimes, including cash-in-transit robberies and murders. Netshiunda said that police intercepted the suspects on Moses Kotane Road (Sparks Road) and instructed the suspects to stop their vehicle.
“The driver defied police instructions and the occupants of the vehicle opened fire on police as they sped off. A shootout ensued and the suspects’ vehicle crashed into the wall at the corner of Moses Kotane Road and Barns Road. All four suspects sustained fatal gunshot wounds inside the vehicle. The fifth suspect got out of the moving vehicle and was shot and injured,” he said.
The fifth suspect was found in possession of a firearm and was subsequently arrested.
“During their interception, information at police disposal indicated that the suspects were en route to execute a hit on a man and two of his bodyguards. The suspects were also wanted for the murders of people, mostly involved in the construction industry,” he concluded.
Simo Jili, communications officer for SAPS Sydenham, confirmed that the injured suspect is recovering in hospital and is under police guard. “Once he recovers, he will be taken to Westville Prison to await his first court appearance,” said Jili.
