A notorious criminal wanted for numerous armed robberies was shot dead near Nigel on June 17. Presby Linda Nyamakazi (49), known to pose as a labour relations inspector, committed various armed robberies.

Nyamakazi’s death followed a robbery of a butchery in Balfour earlier the same day. He apparently fled the scene of his crime in a white Renault Sandero, but a private security officer spotted him in Nigel.

The officer managed to stop the Sandero, but when he tried to arrest Nyamakazi, a confrontation ensued and Nyamakazi was shot and killed.

Nyamakazi’s details and photos had been circulating the past six months and an alert was sent out for people to be on the lookout for this man.

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In one of Nyamakazi’s latest crimes, a well-known business in Sundra was targeted on June 13. More robberies occurred in the following days.

Nyamakazi used cloned vehicles and false registration plates to avoid detection, often switching cars between incidents.

Vehicles used included a blue VW Polo, a white Renault Sandero and a red Ford Fiesta, some of which were regularly spotted in Delmas, Sundra and Eloff.

According to a trustworthy source, Nyamakazi committed his first armed robbery at the age of 14, followed by various arrests for offences such as armed robbery, hijacking and impersonating a government official. He also spent time behind bars and was, at the time of his death, apparently on parole.

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