Following a shoot-out between the police and suspects on Monday of last week, a case of attempted murder has been opened.
Nelspruit Post reported last week that four suspects had been pursued to Mbombela by the police and flying squad following a suspected house robbery in KaNyamazane. At around 20:15 gunshots were fired in the vicinity of Rob Ferreira Hospital, sending residents into a frenzy. They took to social media, reporting hearing two sets of gunshots.
The city’s police spokesman, Capt Charles Bezuidenhout, has confirmed that they are investigating a case of attempted murder. “This follows after they shot at members of the police force. The vehicle in which they were travelling was confiscated along with a machete and a silencer.”
Mr Jacques Meiring, Bossie Community Justice’s (BCJ) operational manager, said the first “round of shots” heard on the evening was believed to be a car backfiring. The second round was, however, gunshots.
According to Hi-Tech Security Nelspruit’s Mr Nico Grobler, the police had apparently pursued four suspects of KaNyamazane. They were reportedly fleeing from the police when they drove their car into a ditch in Brenda Street. They ran into a vacant street between Rob Ferreira Hospital and the nearby Urban Cove apartment block.
When the SAPS approached them, they shot at the police, who were in turn forced to return fire.
According to Mr Johann Jansen van Vuuren of Nelspruit Concerned Citizens (NCC), NCC patrollers, ACS Security, Hi-Tech and BCJ assisted the police in barricading the area thoroughly. They searched for the suspects, but they had already fled.
Bezuidenhout confirmed that no arrests had been made.
Also read: Who fired those gunshots on Monday night
