Durban – A suspect wanted in connection with the murders of two South African Police Service (SAPS) Crime Intelligence officers has been shot and killed during a gun battle with police in Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal.
The suspect was killed on Friday morning, 25 September, during an operation involving members of the Special Task Force (STF).
“A suspect who was wanted for the murder of two crime intelligence members who were ambushed in Mount Edgecombe was shot and fatally wounded in Inanda,” KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said.
“One Special Task Force member was injured during the operation.”
The suspect was linked to the April ambush that claimed the lives of Captain Louis Nel and Sergeant Mandla Khuzwayo, both attached to Crime Intelligence.
Direct assault
The officers were travelling in an unmarked state vehicle in Mount Edgecombe, Durban, on 30 April when unknown assailants opened fire.
Nel died at the scene, while Khuzwayo was critically wounded and later died in hospital after battling for his life.
The killings prompted a strong response from SAPS, with Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane describing the attack as a direct assault on the authority of the state and South Africa’s crime-fighting capability.
SAPS subsequently established a dedicated team to pursue leads and identify those responsible for the ambush.
Nel was laid to rest in Durban on 8 May, with KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli and provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi among those who attended the funeral.
The latest shootout marks a development in the investigation into the killings, although police have yet to provide further details about the identity of the suspect or the circumstances surrounding Friday’s operation.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
