Police Minister Bheki Cele is expected to visit the community of Mariannhill in Durban today, following the killing of nine suspects in a shootout with police yesterday.
Cele and local police leadership are expected to engage with members of the community on their safety concerns.
Yesterday, many residents said they did not report crimes, including robberies and murders, for fear of retaliation from gangs operating in the area.
The suspects were also on the police’s radar for serious and violent crimes in the area.
Police have launched a manhunt for two more suspects.
[GRAPHIC CONTENT] KZN Shooting | Police kill nine suspects in Mariannhill:
Residents terrorised for years
Residents of Desai in Mariannhill say the suspects who were killed in the shootout with police yesterday have been terrorising them for years.
Residents Caroline Kesaki and Alphinah Gumbi say the crime levels have been so high, that some people have abandoned their homes.
“There is a high rate of crime here and people have left their homes and houses due to the high rate of crime. We didn’t sleep due to the noise of guns. I am also the victim of this crime as my husband was severely beaten up and his belongings were taken by the criminals.”
“The rate of crime is frightening and we live under fear. Many people have left their homes, and I thank the intervention of police,” adds Gumbi.
Parents confirming their worst fears as they identify the bodies of their loved ones who perished at the hands of the KZN Provincial Stabilisation Team in the Desai area of Mariannhill in the early hours of this morning. 9 gang members were shot dead. #SABCNews pic.twitter.com/83ZJGqxQjh
— Vusi Khumalo (@djvuslo) April 3, 2024
-Additional reporting by Khalesakhe Mbense and Nonjabulo-Mntungwa Makamu
