Five suspects wanted for a series of violent crimes, including murder and business robbery, were killed in a gunfight with police on Tuesday night in Cato Crest, Durban, according to the South African Police Service (SAPS).
SAPS spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda reported that a multidisciplinary team, working alongside other police units in KwaZulu-Natal, tracked the suspects to a rented double-story flat in Cato Crest after receiving intelligence on their whereabouts.
The suspects reportedly opened fire on SAPS officers through the windows of the flat, prompting the officers to return fire. “A shootout ensued, and after the ceasefire, five suspects were found with fatal gunshot wounds,” said Colonel Netshiunda. Police recovered an AK-47 assault rifle, three handguns, and a quantity of drugs from the scene.
The deceased suspects were linked to four counts of murder, 13 cases of business robbery, and a hijacking incident within the Cato Manor and Durban Central policing zones. Colonel Netshiunda confirmed that no police officers were injured during the confrontation.
Rising Tally of Suspects Killed by KZN Police
The deaths of the five suspects in Cato Crest bring the total number of suspects killed in shootouts with KwaZulu-Natal police to 13 in less than a week. Last week, KZN police shot and killed nine alleged gang members in three separate incidents over four days in Durban and eMpangeni. Since April 2024, 45 suspects have been slain in confrontations with police in the province.
The aggressive stance taken by the KZN police, led by General Mkhwanazi, has sparked debate over whether these incidents are acts of self-defense or part of a broader strategy to crack down on crime in the region, where the crime rate has become increasingly intolerable.
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