A hitman wanted for two Bergville taxi-related murders was among three other hitmen who were killed in a shootout with police officers on Monday in Mooi River, KwaZulu-Natal.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said four suspects who were wanted for taxi industry-related murders were shot and fatally wounded in a high-speed vehicle shootout with police on Monday afternoon.
He said following intelligence indicating the presence of suspects in the Mooi River area, police officers carried out an intelligence-driven operation.
Netshiunda said the police intercepted the suspects’ vehicle on the N3 Highway and signalled for the driver to stop; however, the driver sped off and took the Hidcote turn-off, joining the R103 road towards Estcourt.
“During the high-speed chase, suspects started firing shots towards the police, and in order to protect themselves and other road users, police returned fire. During the subsequent shootout, four suspects who were the occupants of the vehicle were shot and fatally wounded,” he said.
Two firearms, a rifle and a pistol, as well as ammunition, were found in the possession of the suspects, he added.
“One of the suspects was a 40-year-old man who was most wanted in connection with the Bergville shootings of a taxi association chairperson and his deputy, who were both shot in February and June 2024 respectively,” said Netshiunda.
According to Netshiunda, he was also wanted for the Bergville taxi rank shooting in which a taxi owner was shot in an incident where a commuter was hit by a stray bullet, as well as the June 2024 attempted murder of a taxi owner in Winterton.
Police said firearms recovered will be subjected to ballistic testing to investigate if they are linked to other violent crime scenes elsewhere in the province or around the country.
Netshiunda added that despite the fact that the police vehicle was riddled with bullet holes, no police officers were injured in the shootout.