By line: Andani Matumba

20 February 2022

The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has appreciated the sterling work displayed by Police in apprehending suspects yesterday after a shootout with the police.

A multidisciplinary Police team consisting of the National Intervention Unit, TRT, Vispol, POPS and Crime Intelligence resulted with the arrest of two suspects at Siyabuswa yesterday.

According to the police report the team was monitoring a funeral of Klaas Motswadira, who was shot in the previous weekend.              

The funeral was attended by about 600 people and mostly youth.

It is alleged that during the burial proceedings at the cemetery, some attendees started shooting in the air with pistols and rifles but fortunately no one was injured in that process.

It is further alleged that when the convoy left the cemetery going back home the same attendees continued to randomly shoot on the air and were spotted by National Intervention Unit (NIU) members.

The members tried to stop them but instead the suspects shot at them (members) and then sped off.

A vehicle chase was ensued and the suspects lost control of their vehicle and collided with the wall at Siyabuswa E.

The owner of the wall also laid charges against the driver.

The vehicle of the suspects was searched and one pistol with a filled serial number and one empty magazine was recovered.

A Ford Ranger Wildtrack was seized together with a firearm.

The firearm will be subjected to a ballistic testing to verify if it was not used in the commission of any crime.

“A 40 year old from Ramokgeletsana village and a 36 year old from Siyabuswa will appear before the Mdutjana Magistrate’s Court tomorrow Monday 21 February, 2022 facing charges of possession of unlicensed firearm, discharging a firearm in public, attempted murder, malicious damage to property, and reckless and negligence driving”, said the Provincial Commissioner.

The Provincial Commissioner has further discouraged the discharging of firearms in public for no apparent reason as it poses danger to the community.

She further lamented on the immoral behavior of disrespecting the cemetery and those who have lost their loved ones.