AT least six people have died in a series of shootings in KwaZulu-Natal since Monday.
On Tuesday morning, the N2 highway was the scene of a cash-in-transit heist and subsequent shootings which left one person dead and several others injured. The highway was closed for several hours.
On Monday night, a shooting at a tavern in Sundumbili, near Mandeni, claimed four lives, including two off-duty police officers.
ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said emergency teams were called out just after 6am following reports of a cash-in-transit robbery and multiple shootings near a cement factory on the N2 southbound.
Upon arrival, paramedics, SAPS, and Metro Police found that a cash-in-transit vehicle had been forced off the road, had overturned, and was then blown up by armed suspects, who proceeded to rob it of an undisclosed amount of cash.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed that the suspects had assaulted two security guards and taken their firearms before fleeing.
“During the robbery, the suspects fired several shots and three bystanders were reportedly shot and injured,” he said.
Private security company City South Security Crime Extinguishers said in a post on Facebook that their Tactical Team had encountered the armed suspects.
“Our team managed to immobilise the Audi used by the suspects as a getaway vehicle. However, they hijacked another vehicle and got away,” the company said.
The suspects fled through Bayview via the Higginson Highway
Netshiunda added: “The suspects allegedly shot at a minibus taxi which they reportedly attempted to hijack. A woman was shot and died, and another woman, who was walking along the road, was also shot and injured.”
Jamieson said paramedics arrived at that scene in Silverglen Drive, Chatsworth to find that a security officer had also been shot.
In another incident on Tuesday afternoon, police were involved in a shootout with suspects in Umbilo.
“ALS paramedics responded to yet another shooting incident on Che Guevara Road (Moore Road), just after Gale Street,” Jamieson said.
“Initial reports were that SAPS and the suspects had a shootout, and ALS paramedics arrived together with the EMRS Paramedics.”
He said paramedics found two men, believed to be the suspects, with multiple gunshot wounds. One had died, the other was in critical condition.
It was suggested that the suspects were linked to the cash heist, but police could not be reached to confirm this at the time of publication.
In Sundumbili, IPSS Security and IPSS Medical Rescue said its paramedics arrived to find several people had been shot.
“Three were deceased on the scene, including an off-duty SAPS member,” said Samantha Meyrick from the IPSS.
Five injured victims were taken to a nearby clinic, where a second off-duty SAPS member succumbed to his injuries.
Speaking on the tavern shooting, Netshiunda said that the attack stemmed from an altercation.
“It is alleged that the deceased persons were consuming alcohol when an altercation ensued between one police constable and a group of five men. The argument was resolved peacefully, and the constable bought alcohol for the five men,” he said.
“A little later on, the other constable had a scuffle with the same five men just outside the tavern, which resulted in the constable being shot at. The bleeding constable reportedly ran back into the tavern with the suspects following him as they continued shooting randomly at everyone inside the tavern.”
Netshiunda said police had closed the tavern and confiscated liquor after establishing that it was operating illegally.
Police appealed to anyone who had information about the incident to call the nearest police station or the Crime Stop number 08600 10111.